Khammam: As many as 30 crore saplings were being planted every year across Telangana under the State government’s prestigious Haritha Haram programme, Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar said on Thursday.
With the government’s green initiative, forest cover in the State has increased by four per cent, the minister said, addressing a gathering at a Palle Pragathi programme at Arekodu village of Khammam Rural mandal in the district.
Ajay Kumar, accompanied by Palair MLA K Upender Reddy and District Collector RV Karnan, planted saplings, inaugurated crematorium and Palle Prakriti Vanam at the village. Palle Pragathi helped to achieve a healthy and pleasant atmosphere in villages with greenery and hygienic conditions, he said.
With the objective of ensuring all round development of villages, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao chalked out Palle Pragathi parameters and the programme works were being carried out on mission mode in rural areas across the State, Ajay Kumar noted.
With closing of unused open wells and demolition of dilapidated structures in villages, the spread of seasonal diseases was contained successfully. “Telangana is the only State in the country that has been releasing funds directly to gram panchayats,” he added.
Upender Reddy said the sanitation works and planting of saplings should be carried out continuously. The elected members have to work in coordination with village and mandal level officials for the development of the villages. He appreciated the district administration for effectively containing the Covid-19 second wave with collective efforts.
Karnan directed the gram panchayat staff, sarpanches, ward members, ANMs, ASHAs and Anganwadi workers to take up door to door visits regularly to educate villagers to avoid water stagnation in their homes and surroundings.
The minister, earlier in the day, took part in Pattana Pragathi in Khammam and distributed plants to residents. The owners of vacant plots should clean their lands, he said, adding if they fail the Municipal Corporation would take up cleaning and recover the expenditure incurred from them.
ZP Chairman, L Kamalaraj, Mayor, P Neeraja, SUDA Chairman B Vijay Kumar, DCC Bank Chairman, K Nagabhushanam, TS Seeds Corporation Chairman, K Koteshwar Rao and others were present.
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