Emphasis on people's role in developmental activities

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, MARCH 20. The need for whole-hearted participation by the community in developmental activities and help the administration in its endeavour to improve basic civic services was stressed on Tuesday by the Home Minister, Mr. T. Devender Goud.

At a stake-holders' workshop on Basic MAPP (Municipal Action Plan for Reduction of Poverty) Implementation Process, organised by the Quthbullapur Municipality, he assured the Department for International Development (DFID) delegation that they would strictly adhere to the plan prepared for slum development.

The Minister told the visitors that indiscriminate migration of people from rural areas to the city had led to indiscriminate creation of slums. In their anxiety to make a living, the people put up huts wherever there was place around the city, with the result that in most slums no basic infrastructure was in place.

Mr. John W. Hodges, Chief Engineering Adviser and Head, Infrastructure and Urban Development, DFID, said, ``My job takes me all over the world, but I am amazed at the people's commitment. I like the impatience of your Minister and other officials and I promise you that we will help just as fast,'' to the delight of the locals, Municipal Councillors and representatives of voluntary agencies working in the area.

The Project Co-ordinator of the A.P. Urban Services for the Poor (APUSP), Mr. K. Rajeswara Rao, said the project would mark a new era in urban development. The APUSP had ushered in a careful, planned fashion with the people as stake-holders. ``We need to break the psychological feeling that people have about developing only their wards. They should think first about development of the town,'' he stated.

The Municipal Commissioner, Dr. N. Satyanarayana, made a presentation of the works undertaken in the Municipality with people's participation, who were stake-holders. At present, 17 slums, with a population of 52,735, had been covered with a sum of Rs. 327 lakhs for providing Manjira water. Also, he said while Rs. 70 lakhs would be spent for a storm water drain, Rs. 68.5 lakhs would be used to strengthen the municipal organisation. The Basic MAPP prepared by the Municipal Council had been approved by the Empowered Committee of the APUSP.

Earlier, the visitors were taken around Ayodhya Nagar slum, where they interacted with the locals. When women told them they were getting Manjira water once a week, Mr. Hodges reacted by asking Mr. Rajeswara Rao to make a commitment as to when they would be able to provide drains and improve drinking water supply. Mr. Rao told the women that in three to six months, it would be done.

Among others present were Dr. Yusaf Samiullah, Senior Engineering and Environmental Adviser, Ms. Pauline Hayes, Senior Governance Adviser, and Mr. Ajay Jain, Collector, Ranga Reddy district. The Municipal Chairman, Mr. B. Lingam Goud, welcomed the gathering.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Unique guide map for 'Greater Hyderabad'
Next     : Talk of the town