Ray of hope for dwellers of 250 slums: CM

Hyderabad, Feb 8 (INN): Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Tuesday participated in the Racha Banda Programme at Borabanda of Jubilee Hills Constituency, where he announced a number of schemes for the area. Expressing his joy over the tremendous response of the people, particularly the common people and women who thronged the Racha Banda the Chief Minister said Rajiv Awaas Yojana (RAY) scheme is being taken up and Rs 9,000 crore will be spent to develop Housing and infrastructure etc. in GHMC area in the next 5 years.

In the I Phase, 250 slums will be taken up for improvement at a cost of Rs 1,900 crore. Another 2 lakh houses will be constructed in addition to the 78,000 houses already taken up in the city. The Chief Minister sanctioned Rs 5 crore to solve the drinking water problem in the Borabanda area. He has also sanctioned an E-Seva Centre for the area and also agreed to consider opening of a Police Station for the area.

Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy then explained about the 100-days special development programme taken up in the GHMC area of which 35 days are already completed. This is meant to develop Hyderabad into a beautiful city. The Chief Minister said Rs 150 crore are being spent only to improve roads in the city for repairing and black topping. He said Rs 10.70 crore for improving footpaths in the city and Rs 5 crore for flyovers in Hyderabad are being spent in these 100 days.

Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy said that Rs 10.60 cores is being spent to improve the drinking water supply in the city and Rs 160 crore towards improving Power supply position by establishing new sub stations and tightening the loose electric wires etc. The Chief Minister said Rs 340 crore is being spent to cleanse and beautify the Hussain Sagar and the work is in full swing.

He said the Ring Road is also being completed on a war footing. The traffic lights and signalling system in the city is being improved at a cost of Rs 25 crore. The Chief Minister said that Rs 30 crore is sanctioned to purchase 50 A/C buses on the main roads and 100 mini buses for interior areas like Borabanda.

Speaking about Aarogyasri, the Chief Minister said under the innovative scheme for providing quality healthcare and treatment to poor and low income people in super specialty hospitals, 8.50 lakh people were operated at a cost of Rs 2,500 crore in the last 3 years and 3 lakh people were operated in the last one year at a cost of Rs 830 crore. Poor people got all these treatment free of cost in super specialty hospitals in the State, he said.

He said Aadahar cards which ensure many benefits like smart cards will also be issued to the people at the earliest and work is in full swing. Under the Housing scheme, 78,000 houses will be constructed for the slum dwellers of Hyderabad and 48,000 houses are already completed and work for 30,000 more houses will start soon.

The Chief Minister distributed 14 ration cards and 83 pensions and other benefits to the people Bora banda. Earlier, Tuesday being the birthday of the local MLA P Vishnuvardhan Reddy, the Chief Minister wished him a happy birthday and many more years of fruitful life.

He also recalled his close relations with Vishnu Vardhan Reddy's father late P Janardhan Reddy and stated that PJR was a man of the masses and working classes. PJR worked hard for the uplift of the working class, the Chief Minister said. Ministers Geetha Reddy, Mukesh Goud, Lok Sabha Member Anjan Kumar Yadav, MLA P Vishbnu Vardhan Reddy, MLCs K Janardhan Reddy and Prabhakar Rao, other public representatives, Local Corporators and officials also participated in the programme.