Priority to toning up civic amenities, streamlining systems and transparency initiated during the year will be continued while giving priority to completion of projects taken up under JNNURM, Municipal Commissioner M.V. Satyanarayana has said.
Addressing his year-end press conference on Sunday, he said sanitation was being given top priority with emphasis on slums. Since transporting the garbage daily to Kapuluppada dumping yard was proving costly, door-to-door collection of separated garbage as dry and wet, making manure would be introduced in 12 wards in January and gradually extended to all the wards.
Among the new proposals were: a flyover at Gopalapatnam linking Narava and other areas at a cost of Rs.75.4 crore, widening the road from South Jail Road to Ambedkar statue at Rs.7 crore and Rs.7.5 crore for a new beach at Lawson’s Bay Colony.
Similarly water supply would be improved with supply ranging from 30 minutes to one hour and for supply by tankers a monitoring system was introduced. Besides use of recycled water for industries, proposals for a desalination plant were being pursued.
Clearing drains regularly to ensure smooth flow and prevention of diseases, all major drains would be de-silted by summer to prevent submergence in the rainy season, Mr. Satyanarayana said. As of now 70 km of road is being improved with a cost of Rs.15 crore and the work would be completed by March.
Stressing the importance of good governance, the Commissioner said a file-tracking system was introduced for transparency so that even members of public could know the position of their file. Also, biometric system would be introduced to improve the attendance of sanitation workers. Tracking the water supply tankers was also introduced to ensure accountability, he said.
Every morning action on the complaints received at the Call Centre on the toll-free number was being reviewed as to whether redress was given in 48 hours with feedback from complainants.
To improve revenue, commercial and semi-commercial properties were being re-assessed with the help of hand-held computer devices. The aim was realise property tax of Rs.212 crore. On the progress of projects, Mr. Satyanarayana exuded confidence that the Asilmetta flyover work would be completed by March/April. Besides barring 5 km the rest of the Bus Rapid Transit System corridors could be commissioned once the work was over. The 5 km stretch could be a mixed corridor till the bottlenecks were cleared over a period of time, he said. On the proposal to merge Bhimunipatnam and Anakapalle with the city, he said more information as sought by the Government was furnished. Additional Commissioner S. Krishna Murthy, Chief Engineer B. Jayarami Reddy, Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) R. Somannarayana and Chief Medical Officer (Health) Ramana Murthy were present.
