The Municipal Administration department’s efforts to make cities and towns more liveable seem to have been paying dividends. The poster-free city initiative, enrolment in schools and the Anganwadi - Pre-school initiative were some of the successful activities of the department.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu held a review meeting on Wednesday wherein the municipal administration department officials had made a presentation on their initiatives.

Enrolment of students in schools was a significant achievement with 1,25,521 students enrolling this year in the primary schools as against 1,14,107 during the last academic year. Similarly, the number touched 1,44,716 from 1,34,595 in the upper primary schools. And, in high schools, it had increased from 36,011 to 57,124. The students enrolling into English medium schools also increased significantly. Only 32% students enrolled in Telugu medium this year compared to 58% last year, they said.

The officials said the “Poster-Free Initiative” was implemented in many districts to remove posters, beautify the walls and create public awareness and ownership. The walls of public and institutions in particular had been painted with relevant and conceptual pictures. The programme was implemented successfully on the main roads in cities like Vijayawada, Nandyal, Anantapur, Kurnool, Nellore and Rajamahendravaram. Students, women’s groups, NGOs, municipal staff, voluntary organisations, artists and painters were involved in the poster-free city activity, they said.

Responding to it, Mr. Naidu asked them to make all the 110 municipalities poster-free. He suggested them to take up painting of walls on the main roads in all towns and cities reflecting Telugu culture and tradition. Mere colouring would not suffice. It was necessary that the paintings speak about local history and culture, he said.

Happy Sundays

The Anganwadi – Preschool Initiative had also been launched in all districts. The Chief Minister was told that 1,016 preschools had been opened and around 92,000 textbooks distributed.

With the success of the ‘Happy Sundays’ event in cities such as Vijayawada, the State government had chalked out plans to extend the programme in all the 110 municipalities from coming Sunday. Street events are being organised on Sundays where the citizens get an opportunity to reclaim their streets, connect with their community and celebrate Sunday in their own way.

Mr. Naidu said the government was only a facilitator in the Happy Sundays event.