‘Local bodies should usher in changes’

Smart leadership with clarity, vision and courage is needed to transform cities into Smart Cities, Union Minister for Urban Development, M. Venkaiah Naidu, said on Friday.

Participating in an international symposium on Municipal Solid Waste Management organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry here, Mr. Naidu said local bodies should look at raising their revenues without burdening citizens in the names of taxes.

Those at the helm of affairs of the local bodies should take the lead in ushering in changes. “An ideal municipal commissioner is one who hits the roads in the morning to monitor works and the same applies to deputy commissioners and others,” he suggested.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was keen on involving citizens in the Swachh Bharat campaign and the drive is turning into a people’s movement, he said. “Cleanliness and hygiene should become part of our lives and it is encouraging to see the involvement of all,” he said. Appropriate handling of municipal solid waste is a key component of the Swachh Bharat mission and the need is to identify and adopt sustainable practises.

Mr. Naidu said proposals on ‘waste to compost’ and ‘waste to energy’ were being worked out and the Union government was even contemplating proposals on recycling of construction debris.