Minister for Panchayati Raj & Information Technology K.T. Rama Rao told the Telangana Assembly on Wednesday that the government would send proposals for the Centre’s ‘Smart Cities’ programme, aimed at inclusive development.
Participating in the debate on demands in Municipal Administration, Roads & Buildings and Panchayati Raj, he said it was proposed that Karimnagar, Khammam, Nizamabad and Khammam be included in the list for the programme. Several members, including those from the Treasury benches and the Opposition on Wednesday, while appreciating the allocations made by the government pertaining to municipal administration, urban development and Panchayati Raj, said it was imperative that the sincerity be reflected in implementing related problems.
TRS member Ganesh Gupta and TDP member K.M. Vivekananda pointed out that while the national average of the urban population was about 32 per cent, the average in Telangana was 38 per cent. The number of people migrating from rural to urban areas will only grow, necessitating adequate civic infrastructure and more importantly, jobs, they said. Mr. Vivekananda said an action-oriented approach by the government was the need of the hour. Referring to the burgeoning GHMC, Mr. Goud and Bharatiya Janata Party member Chintala Ramachandra Reddy said it was important that agencies like the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority, Hyderabad Metro Water Supply & Sewerage Board and related power utilities be brought under the common umbrella of GHMC.
