No ‘business-as-usual’ approach for TRS government: KTR
Hyderabad: Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister K T Rama Rao on Thursday said the Telangana government has a clear blueprint for the simultaneous development of both urban and rural areas in the State. Pointing out that Telangana was one of the few states that was predominantly urban, the Minister said since formation of State […]
Hyderabad: Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister K T Rama Rao on Thursday said the Telangana government has a clear blueprint for the simultaneous development of both urban and rural areas in the State.
Pointing out that Telangana was one of the few states that was predominantly urban, the Minister said since formation of State in 2014, the State Government has taken conscious policy initiatives and brought in major reforms, be it round-the-clock power supply, TSiPASS, a robust and highly affordable real estate sector or ideal law and order situation. “These initiatives have resulted in rapid growth of major urban areas such as Hyderabad, Warangal, Nizamabad, Karimnagar and Khammam, besides the Urban Local Bodies in the peripherals of Hyderabad that are quickly changing the urban landscape of the State,” Rama Rao said, initiating a short discussion on Pattana Pragathi in the State Assembly here.
The Minister, who spoke at length about the rapid urbanization in the State, also pointed out urban pockets account for only three per cent of Telangana’s total land mass. “As per 2011 census, 1.45 crores or 41.19 per cent of the State’s total population, however, lives in urban areas. The urban population in Telangana is likely to touch 50 per cent in the next couple of years,” he said.
With a world class stature city as its capital, Telangana is fast emerging as a predominantly urban State, the Minister said, adding that the urban administration in the State underwent a metamorphosis under the TRS government with the objective of making cities and towns futuristic. The government, he said, had brought in a simplistic, progressive and path-breaking Telangana Municipalities Act 2019 replacing a multitude of Municipal Acts. “For the first time in decades, the ULBs in the State are assured of a steady financial flow from the State government without any lapse. The budget making process has become more scientific and planned under the direct supervision of District Collectors,” he said.
He said the State government had a propensity to move away from the ‘business-as-usual’ approach to consider and initiate critical infrastructure with proper investment so as to cater to the future needs and requirements of towns and cities.
“With all these priorities and perspectives, urban administration in the State is moving on the right path to make our cities and towns truly inclusive and livable with world class facilities, besides sustaining their primacy and utility as growth engines of our economy,” he said.
‘Underground drainage issue priority’
Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao said upgrading the underground drainage network in the city would cost an estimated Rs 3,700 crore. The State Cabinet recently approved sanction of Rs 1,200 crore towards underground drainage network improvement, he said.
Replying to queries during question hour in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday, he said under this initiative, Rs 170 crore would be spent towards upgradation of underground drainage network in several colonies under LB Nagar Assembly constituency limits, he informed.
He said as per Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s directions, sufficient drinking water was being supplied to households across the city and nearly 90 per cent of the issue was addressed, save for a few new areas. “In the last term, we had addressed all the drinking water issues in the city. This term, targets have been set to fix underground drainage issues but due to the Covid pandemic, works got delayed,” said Rama Rao.
In the LB Nagar constituency, drinking water would be supplied to all colonies. Under Mission Bhagiratha Scheme, HMWSSB implemented a water supply improvement project by constructing 12 reservoirs of 47.50 MLD capacity and a 384 km pipeline network was laid with a cost of Rs 313.26 crore, he said. This apart, water supply pipeline network covering 13.11-km with a cost of Rs 5.25 crore, to colonies, which were not served earlier, was taken up and completed, the Minister said.
Bhagiratha integration with old network done
Hyderabad: Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao on Thursday said the integration of the existing water supply network in all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) with Mission Bhagiratha Water Grid was completed. As many as 13.45 lakh new connections will be offered after executing the Sunkesula project to draw Krishna water from Nagarjunasagar.
In addition, water supply schemes in 38 more ULBs were under brisk progress and the works in nine ULBs were expected to be completed by this month-end, he said during a discussion on Pattanna Pragathi in the State Assembly here. In the remaining 80 ULBs constituted in 2018, the water supply scheme was taken up by the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Department and Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board within Outer Ring Road.
On completion, the initiative will result in 100 per cent house-to-house water tap connection under “Inti-Intiki Nalla” from the existing 11.40 lakh to 21.85 lakh, an addition of 10.45 lakh and an increase in water supply from the existing 70 LPCD to 135 LPCD, Rama Rao said. Under HMWSSB alone, there are 41,794 beneficiaries of Rs 1 tap connection and 17,595 for Rs 100 tap connection.
While the water supply position in 141 ULBs was encouraging, the story of HMWSSB, which caters to the needs of GHMC and ULBs within ORR, was even more encouraging with efforts to achieve what is termed as “water security to emerging needs of Hyderabad City” impressively successful, the Minister said.
Rama Rao said the government has accorded permission to Telangana Urban Finance Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (TUFIDC) for obtaining a loan for an amount of Rs 2,000 crore from various financial institutions to take up infrastructure projects in ULBs.
To provide basic urban infrastructure in ULBs, the government so far accorded in-principle approval of loans to 111 ULBs (Rs 2959.51 cr) for taking up infrastructure works. Keeping in view the available loans, these works are being taken up in a phased manner based on priority. The HMDA has taken up the development of infrastructure facilities at Kokapet layout in an extent of 530 acres, the Minister said.
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