Reforms lift living standards in Telangana: Governor
Lauds creation of basic infrastructure facilities in villages
Hyderabad: Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan has said that the living standards of people in Telangana State had tremendously improved due to the creation of basic infrastructure facilities in all villages. She observed that urban areas too were being transformed into pollution-free zones and places that offer good living.
Delivering her Republic Day speech here on Tuesday, the Governor said Palle Pragathi programme transformed the villages in the State and was a role model for the country. She stated that 12,765 gram panchayats in the State have been provided tractors with tankers and trolleys against only 84 gram panchayats at the time of the State formation. As part of greenery initiatives, a record 91 percent of the saplings planted had survived in rural areas, while each village had been equipped with a nursery, with 19,470 Prakruti Vanalu being developed across the State.
Tamilisai Soundararajan said the State government was constructing dumping yards in 12,736 villages where 91 per cent works were completed. At 9,023 dumping yards, compost facilities were also being created. Further, Vaikunta Dhamams were being constructed in every village enabling people to bid a dignified farewell to their loved ones.
Focus on Rythu Vedikas
“The State government took special interest in constructing one Rythu Vedikas in every farm cluster to facilitate the farmers to sit and deliberate farm-related issues. The construction of 2,580 Rythu Vedikas out of the targeted 2,601 have been completed,” she said.
Further, the Governor stated that the State government was also constructing ‘drying platforms’ at 93,875 locations across the State, to help the farmers to dry and thresh their produce. With the initiatives taken up by the State government, now gram panchayats are able to pay their electricity bills in time. The State government is releasing Rs 308 crore every month to the gram panchayats, despite financial crunch caused by the COVID pandemic.
On cleanliness
Owing to cleanliness, there was a drastic decline in incidence of dengue in the State this year. “The Central government conferred Swachh Survekshan award on the State as all the villages have been declared open defecation-free. I appreciate all those who made it possible. I congratulate Panchayat Raj Department officials, sarpanches, ward members, panchayat secretaries and all those who took part in this endeavour,” she added.
The Governor observed that rapid urbanisation was being witnessed in Telangana after the State formation and accordingly, the State government was creating basic infrastructure for the same. The State government is releasing Rs 148 crore every month to the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) apart from release of additional funds to the GHMC and other municipal corporations. She said infrastructure like 1,018 nurseries in ULBs and another 500 nurseries in GHMC, have been set up, while Vakuntadhamams are being constructed for every one lakh population. Around 2,004 new sanitation vehicles are being launched in the urban areas in addition to the existing 2,802 sanitation vehicles, to improve solid waste management. Dump yards are being constructed in all the urban areas. In 116 ULBs, vegetable and non-vegetable integrated markets are being established.
TS-bPASS
The State government also enacted the Telangana State Building Permission Approval and Self Certification System (TS-bPASS) Act, 2020 to ease the permission procedure for building construction in urban areas. “Now the applicants are obtaining permissions, through self-declaration in a highly transparent, time-bound and corruption-free manner. In all urban areas, the State government is supplying drinking water at free of cost up to 20,000 litres per every household per month. This has enabled about 97 percent of the urban population to access free drinking water facility,” she added.
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