The Hindu Business Line : AP CM promises better urban roads, more water schemes

THE State Government will accord priority to improving the civic amenities and living conditions in the towns, especially urban water schemes and roads, said the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S Rajasekhara Reddy.

He was addressing a public meeting at Tagarapuvalasa in the vicinity of Bheemunipatnam on Friday after laying the foundation stone for a Rs 11.5-crore desalination plant.

He toured Bheemunipatnam (popularly known as Bhimli) and Tagarapuvalasa towns on Friday and laid foundation stones for several projects as a part of "Rajiv nagara baata'' programme.

"This desalination plant is the first of the kind being set up in the State with the assistance of the Union Government. We have chosen one of the oldest municipalities, Bhimli, for the project. The Government is determined to develop both Bhimli and Tagarapuvalasa into nice little towns," he said.

The Chief Minister said that he had earlier laid the foundation stone for the new municipal office and shopping complex at Bhimli to be built at a cost of Rs 50 lakh.

"We have taken up Rajiv Gruha Kalpa scheme to provide houses to all the 40 lakh urban homeless in the State. Already, 2,000 houses have been sanctioned for Bhimli and 2,000 more will be granted," he said.

He exhorted women to form self-help groups and avail themselves of the loans being given by commercial banks for self-employment schemes at concessional rates of interest.

"Garment-making and fashion technology in particular hold great promise. Women can easily earn Rs 2,000-3,000 per month," he said.

Earlier, he inaugurated a training centre for women in fashion technology in the town.

The Chief Minister accused the previous Telugu Desam government of grossly neglecting the towns and failing to build urban infrastructure during its nine-year tenure.

Thanking the Chief Minister for the desalination plant, Mr K. Sitaram, the local MLA, urged him to sanction Rs 5 crore more for drinking water schemes and Rs 5 crore for roads in Bhimli constituency.

"The roads in many segments are in a bad shape and there is a need for more drinking water schemes in the constituency," he said.

He also made an appeal to the Chief Minister to develop Bhimli as a major tourist centre.

The Chief Minister was accompanied by Mr K. Ramakrishna, Commercial Taxes Minister.

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