Karimnagar will soon evolve as one of the best cities of Telangana State and the government will systematically work for its comprehensive development, announced Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao here on Wednesday.
He announced setting up of Sathavahana Urban Development Authority for the planned development of city and several other decisions.
In an exclusive day long meeting on the all-round development of Karimnagar held at Pragati Bhavan with Ministers Eatala Rajender, Harish Rao, people’s representatives, and senior officials, Mr. Rao unveiled his vision for Karimnagar’s development. Karimnagar was gateway for not only prominent pilgrim centres like Vemulavada, Dharmapuri, Kaleswaram but also for the revived Fertiliser Corporation and the 4,300 MW ultra mega NTPC Ramagundam power plant. One would has to go through the city to see various tourist attractions, scenic spots, forest areas and the Godavari river, he said.
The Chief Minister released ₹ 25 crore out of ₹ 506 crore earmarked for the Manair Dam and Manair Riverfront beautification and had elaborate discussions with the officials and people’s representatives on transforming Karimnagar into an attractive city.
Along with Karimnagar, all cities with Municipal Corporations and Police Commissionerates would get urban development authorities,he said and directed the MA & UD Principal Secretary Navin Mittal to map Karimnagar and prepare a blue print for its development.
Enthusing about the 90 km Maner river front, Chief Minister said it would become a crown jewel for North Telangana and would be developed as a tourist spot of international standard. Residential houses facing river front would be constructed. “ I shall buy the first house and the second by Eatala Rajender,” he said in jest.
Releasing a first instalment of ₹ 25 crore, Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao asked the Collector to beautify the river front first till Chegurthy Lingapur and in the second phase up to Vegurupalli. He wanted tall trees like silver oak, pagodas on either side of the river.
The Maner dam beautification would be taken up at ₹ 40 crore including Central funds of ₹ 15 crore and it would be provided with all tourist amenities.
The other decisions included a special drive for sanitation and hygiene in Karimnagar, plantation of about five lakh saplings. Chief Minister would inaugurate this year’s Haritha Haram from Karimnagar for planting one lakh saplings on a single day. IFS officer V.Anjaneyulu was appointed as a special officer to improve greenery in the city and around Maner dam. An amount of ₹ 10 crore would be spent on Haritha Haram in Karimnagar, he added.
Several people’s representatives - MP Vinod Kumar, MLA Gangula Kamalakar, MLCs Naradas Lakshman Rao, Bhanu Prasad also pledged funds of ₹ 50 lakh each for afforestation from their constituency development funds.
Traffic regulation, widening of roads, construction of bus bays, new office for the Police Commissionerate and Command and Control centre, police stations in eight areas, remodelling of Collectorate, Zilla Parishad, municipal corporations with parking and other facilities are also on the agenda.
The meeting decided to identify sites for four burial grounds, crematoria and public toilets.
