Civic poll fever catches on in twin cities

Residents of Temple Alwal, Yapral and their surrounding areas can look forward to supply of drinking water at least every alternate day from now on. Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy formally opened new overhead reservoirs and sumps in the respective areas on Monday.

He also announced that within the next six months to one year, these areas would be brought under the daily water supply scheme. Three 1,400 litre capacity reservoirs were built and two were opened while the third at Machabolarum is to be opened soon. Two sumps of 2,500 litre capacity have also been opened at Father Balaiah Nagar and Lothukunta.

Addressing a public meeting at Yapral, Dr. Reddy pointed out that civic infrastructure works worth Rs. 100 crore have been taken up in the last couple of years in Alwal circle after it was incorporated into GHMC. There was a special focus on improving amenities in 49 slums. The Chief Minister came in a chopper from Uppal.

He assured that in the next five years the Government would spend double the money for basic amenities, disburse three to four times more money than what has been sanctioned now to women self help groups, build houses for all the poor and ensure employment opportunities.

The Chief Minister said his Government was conscious of problems of the poor and was taking all possible steps to come to their aid.

Especially, it was concentrating on education and health as these two vital issues were leading the poor into a debt trap because of the high costs involved.

In this context, he mentioned that Arogyasri health insurance and fee reimbursement for the weaker sections in professional courses and the same is to be extended to economically backward forward classes.

Ministers Sabitha Indra Reddy, D. Nagender, A. Ramnarayan Reddy, MP S. Satyanarayana, MLA A. Rajender, GHMC Commissioner S.P. Singh, Special Commissioner M.T. Krishna Babu and others were present.
Naidu’s note of caution

Meanwhile, TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu cautioned the people about the pitfalls of voting for the Congress in the coming GHMC elections. The government had done practically nothing during the last two months. If anything the prices had shot up and essential commodities had gone beyond the reach of the common man.

“A kilogram of red gram has touched Rs. 100. If you vote the Congress again it will hit double century,” Mr. Naidu remarked while addressing a well-attended public meeting at Chandanagar in Serlingampally on Monday evening.

Launching the party’s campaign for the GHMC election, Mr. Naidu went round Serlingampally, Kukatpally and Qutbullapur and addressed meetings in spite of the rain.


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