Latest news with #MunicipalAdministrationandUrbanDevelopment
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
4k houses for staff by March 2026: Minister P Narayana
VIJAYAWADA: Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Minister P Narayana reaffirmed the government's commitment to completing the construction of Amaravati, stating that all works will be finished within three years despite political conspiracies aimed at stalling progress. He inspected several ongoing projects on Tuesday, including the Sakhamuru Reservoir, Kondaveeti Vagu, Gravity Canal, and Anantavaram Park. Speaking to the media, Narayana emphasised that the construction of 4,000 houses for officials and employees will be completed by March 2026, while roads and drainage works are nearing completion. The minister added that the Dutch authorities have designed flood-prevention canals covering a total of 47.94 km, while reservoirs at Sakhamuru, Krishnayapalem, and Neerukonda are under development to store up to 0.53 TMC of water collectively. The government is expediting these projects to finish canal works by late 2026, ahead of the original October 2027 deadline. 'IIT experts are finalising the layout road designs, which are expected by the end of August,' he said. He noted that annuity for 25,000 farmers has largely been cleared, with 900 cases pending due to incorrect bank details, land sales, or other issues. A special review is underway to resolve these cases. Highlighting international cooperation, Narayana said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's recent visit to Singapore had restored ties with the government and industry leaders there. Singapore's National Parks Authority has assured support for Amaravati's blue-green capital vision and riverfront development. ADC Chairperson Lakshmi Parthasarathy and other CRDA officials were present.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Amaravati works on fast track: Narayana sets 3-year deadline
Amaravati: Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development P Narayana on Tuesday said that all construction work in Amaravati was progressing rapidly. He stated that despite 'conspiracies' from various quarters, the capital city would be completed within three years. After inspecting construction sites, including the Sakhamuru Reservoir, Kondaveeti Vagu, and Anantavaram Park, the minister addressed the media. He challenged critics who claimed no work was happening, to visit the sites themselves. 'Tenders for government buildings in Amaravati were finalised and work began between 2014 and 2019,' Narayana said. 'The previous government's 'three capitals game' completely ruined this progress. They created confusion about the location of the capital and troubled farmers.' The minister explained that the new government closed old tenders, settled financial issues, and was moving forward after an IIT expert review of existing structures. 'All construction work has restarted. We will complete 4,000 residential units for officials and employees by the end of March next year,' he announced. The minister added that road and drainage work was nearing completion, and IIT experts would finalize the designs for layout roads by the end of this month. To prevent flooding, canal designs were prepared with the help of Dutch officials. The work includes widening and deepening the Kondaveeti Vagu (23.6 km), Palavagu (16.5 km), and a gravity canal (7.843 km), for a total of 47.94 km of canals, he said. While recent rains have slightly slowed progress on the canals, Narayana stated that these projects, initially targeted for completion by October 2027, are now expected to be finished by the end of next year. The minister addressed pending issues with farmers' lease payments. He said that while funds have been credited to most of the 25,000 farmers, payments for approximately 900 farmers are on hold due to various reasons, such as incorrect bank account details, deaths, or land sales. He said that these cases are being reviewed and encouraged farmers to file complaints on the official website if they have not received their payments. Narayana also touched upon Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's recent visit to Singapore. He mentioned that the previous government's actions had damaged relations with Singapore.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Andhra will be legacy waste-free by year-end: MAUD Min
VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh will be declared a legacy waste-free State by the end of 2025, Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Minister P Narayana announced on Monday. Addressing a state-level workshop organised by the Swachh Andhra Corporation under the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, the minister said the government is committed to clearing legacy waste left behind by the previous regime, along with 20 lakh tonnes of new waste generated since. Stressing the importance of effective solid and liquid waste management, Narayana directed all municipal commissioners to prioritise sanitation and transform towns into garbage-free urban centres. 'Urban cleanliness is a shared responsibility. Municipal officials must work in coordination with citizens to ensure visible change on the ground,' he said. Narayana said that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is personally involved in the 'Swarna Andhra - Swachh Andhra' programme, held every third Saturday, to encourage citizen participation. Further, he said sewage treatment plants will be set up within two years, and drinking water pipelines will be laid using AMRUT scheme funds. Referring to efforts to revive stalled international collaborations, Narayana said Chief Minister Naidu's recent visit to Singapore received a positive response. 'The Singapore government respects Naidu and has expressed interest in supporting World Bank-assisted projects in Amaravati,' he added.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Focus on revenue, Andhra ULBs told
VIJAYAWADA: The Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Department has launched an intensive campaign to enforce financial discipline and strengthen revenue sustainability across Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the State. Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar held a state-level video conference with all Municipal Commissioners, urging greater accountability in financial operations. ULBs were directed to improve collections of property tax and vacant land tax, and to explore Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models to reduce dependence on state funds. Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration, P Sampath Kumar, presented a financial health report for 2024–25, helping ULBs assess budget performance and prioritise essential services. Solid waste management, door-to-door garbage collection, and scientific waste disposal were identified as key focus areas to enhance urban livability. The review flagged substantial tax arrears, including Rs 1,680 crore from Central government entities, Rs 962 crore from State departments, Rs 1,860 crore in vacant land tax, and Rs 978 crore entangled in court cases. Major defaulters include Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (Rs 1,362 crore) and AP Transco (Rs 2.56 crore). Commissioners were instructed to serve notices within a week, publicise defaulter lists and initiate recovery processes. The department reaffirmed CM -monitored targets, including 100% household tap connections by 2029 and achieving plastic-free status in 17 ULBs by October 2025. ULB performance is being tracked via a real-time digital dashboard, with top-performing bodies to be recognised quarterly.
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Secretariat to go plastic-free by Aug 15; ban in Andhra by 2026 June
VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government has set an ambitious target to make the State Secretariat completely free of single-use plastics by August 15, 2025, and aims to extend the ban across the entire State by June 5, 2026. The initiative follows a call from Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu to promote environmental sustainability and safeguard public health. Principal Secretary of Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD), S Suresh Kumar, announced the initiative during a training session for Mandal Liaison Officers (MLOs) on Friday. He highlighted the harmful effects of single-use plastics, citing microplastic pollution as a growing threat linked to various cancers and health risks for both humans and animals.
