Hyderabad: Municipal Administration and Urban Development Principal Secretary Arvind Kumar on Saturday has asked the officials to follow the instructions of the MA&UD minister K.T. Rama Rao to ensure that garbage collection and transportation is not affected in the urban local bodies in view of the ongoing sanitation workers strike in some of the municipalities.
Addressing the municipal commissioners and the DPROs through a video conference, he asked the municipal commissioners to make alternate arrangements wherever required to ensure that sanitation is not impacted. He informed the commissioners that there is no ground for a strike since the issue of hike of wages to the workers is already sorted out in accordance with the 74th amendment. He said that less than 18 urban local bodies are partially affected and everywhere else the situation is normal. He asked them to complete the process of getting council resolutions immediately. He also directed the commissioners to ensure that all officers relating to planning, sanitation, and engineering should be on the field and personally inspect the sanitation works. He also said that special officers will be sent to the districts to oversee the operations.
Mr Kumar also congratulated the commissioners for improved property tax collection.
He said that while Khammam Corporation achieved 99%, 15 ULBs achieved 100% and 58 ULBs achieved more that 90% target. He asked them to set up water kiosks at all important places where people congregate such as bus stations, traffic islands etc. keeping the summer season in mind. The local NGOs and other voluntary organizations should be engaged, he added. He instructed the municipal engineers and public health engineers to be prepared for the rainy season and identify areas which are low lying and prone to water logging. He asked them to have a contingency plan ready such as removal of encroachments and clearing of nala.
He also asked the commissioners to take up improvement of at least one major road, two or three traffic islands and urban parks in the respective municipalities from the TUFIDC funds. Proposal for scientific disposal of garbage should be prepared and submitted at the earliest, he said.
