Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao asks municipal chairpersons and mayors to root out corruption

Rao said that the onus is on the newly-elected mayors, chairpersons and ward members to make the cities and towns ideal for living.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and IT and MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao during a meeting with newly-elected mayors and municipal chairpersons
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and IT and MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao during a meeting with newly-elected mayors and municipal chairpersons

HYDERABAD: Adjuring the newly-elected mayors and municipal chairpersons of urban local bodies to adapt new methods in governance to root out corruption, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday gave a piece of his mind to them and stressed the need to work for the development of towns and cities under Pattana Pragathi programme.

“The term municipality has become a synonym for drainage, dirt and garbage. Baldia (municipality) became a byword for corruption. It is often referred among the people that Baldia, Khaya, Peeya, Chaldiya (Municipality staff came, ate, drank and left). Transparent policies should be adapted in order to wipe out the bad reputation of urban local bodies (ULBs),” the Chief Minister advised them. Rao said that the onus is on the newly-elected mayors, chairpersons and ward members to make the cities and towns ideal for living.

Rao, whose was speech was laced with quoted from the poems of Bharthruhari’s Subhashitam, educated them about their duties and responsibilities. “Power and position are like walking on a thin razor’s edge. Public life is not an easy one. Don’t lose your balance while discharging duties,” the Chief Minister said.

Rao also cautioned them: “Do not make false promises to people that you will get all the works done overnight. Prepare a proper plan to undertake any work. Have proper awareness on the subject. Prepare a comprehensive action plan before plunging into the execution. Take along all the concerned. Develop towns and cities with people’s participation. Have less photo-ops, concentrate and focus more on executing the works.”

Toilets in three months

During the meeting, Rao directed the newly-elected chairpersons to take up construction of public toilets in all the cities and towns, and complete them within three months and solve all the power-related problems in next eight months.

Failing which, MLAs, mayors, chairpersons and commissioners concerned should take the responsibility and may have to quit their posts, the Chief Minister warned. 

He also instructed the District Collectors to stay overnight in villages and conduct ‘pada yatras’ to achieve Palle Pragathi targets.

Land regularisation

“The government is considering giving another opportunity in the municipalities, as it did with the towns and cities, under G.O. No 58 and 59 for the regularisation of constructions on the government lands,” the CM said.

He added that the government will soon take up a programme to make Telangana a totally literate state. “Councillors and Corporators should take responsibility. Everyone should take the responsibility to turn the illiterates into literates,” Rao said.

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