HYDERABAD: MAUD and IT Minister KT Rama Rao announced that the TS-bPASS, a system aimed at simplifying rules for obtaining building permissions in the State, would come into effect from April 2.
“We all should work together to ensure a transparent delivery of citizen services,” KTR said, while speaking at an orientation programme on the new Municipal Act for district collectors and additional collectors, at MCR HRD Institute on Friday.
KTR said that the building permissions should be sanctioned within the stipulated period of 21 days. Officials insisting on bribes would face severe action, he said. “We will take serious action against officials who fail to implement the new Municipal Act in its true spirit,” he added. The Minister also asked the collectors to move ‘lethargic’ municipal staff from one municipality to another frequently, if need be.
“MAUD officials should be appropriately trained on the TS-bPASS system. Awareness should be created on the new system among the general public by conducting sessions with residential welfare associations and ward committees,” he added.
New Municipal Act
During the orientation programme, KTR said that the decentralisation of the State —which meant the formation of new districts, municipalities and mandals — was one of the biggest achievement of the TRS government, since the formation of the State. KTR said, “I can proudly say that no other State has brought in so many administrative reforms in the history of our country in such a short span of time.”
He said that there would be challenges in the implementation of the new Municipal Act in the first few months, but after the citizens were made aware of the same, things would run much smoother. Emphasising on the role of collectors in the implementation of the new Act, the Minister said, “Effective implementation of the new Municipal Act will change the face of the cities and towns in Telangana. The Collectors should play an important role in its implementation.”
Pattana Pragathi
The MAUD Minister further said that the Pattana Pragathi programme would soon be launched in the State on the lines of Palle Pragathi, which was a huge success in the villages. He said that the best practices from some of the urban local bodies could be emulated and implemented across the State. “Telangana’s towns should set a benchmark for the rest of the country,”the Minister said.