BJP State president Somu Veerraju said the Central government was giving funds on a large scale for the development of municipal corporations and municipalities under a wide range of schemes like the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Swachh Bharat Mission and through the 15th Finance Mission, and pointed out that the role of States was limited to their implementation.
The Centre was focusing on improving civic amenities from ward level as it firmly believed that the nation would develop only when local bodies were given the required impetus, he observed.
Addressing mediapersons here after campaigning for party leader A. Sriram, who is contesting in the elections to the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation from the 53rd division, Mr. Veerraju said the Centre gave ₹1,000 crore (₹500 crore each under AMRUT and Swachh Bharat Mission) to Vijayawada in addition to an allocation of ₹400 crore per annum by the 15th Finance Commission.
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Vijayawada and Guntur cities got ₹1,000 crore for upgrading of infrastructure when M. Venkaiah Naidu was the Union Minister for Urban Development.
Mr. Veerraju said the Central government earmarked ₹25,000 crore to the Jal Shakti Mission which has been extended to urban areas.
The TDP government had got ₹6,000 crore and the present dispensation ₹2,000 crore under AMRUT. This and other massive fund allocations reflected the emphasis laid by the Central government on the development of urban areas, he said, exhorting the people to vote for the party in the upcoming civic polls.
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