The Hindu 24.03.2010
‘Unified effort needed for overall development of Raichur city'
Staff Correspondent
| Encroachment of drains said to be one of the reasons for flooding last year |
‘It is not the responsibility of the district administration alone to clear encroachments'
Trust to be set up to protect the fort and other monuments in the city
Raichur: Deputy Commissioner V. Anbu Kumar said on Tuesday that local bodies, elected representatives and all government departments should work in unison to ensure development of the city.
He was speaking as a special guest at the general body meeting of the Raichur City Municipal Council (CMC).
City residents could not be provided better facilities as several roads, drains and government land had been encroached upon over the last several years. But, it was not the responsibility of the district administration alone to clear such encroachments, he said. Mr. Kumar said that the district administration decided to clear such structures as it found that encroachment of drains was one of the reasons for flooding in the city during October last.
A permanent solution need to be found to ensure such disasters did not recur, he said, and added that unified effort by all authorities concerned and people was needed to achieve overall development in the city.
The Deputy Commissioner said that the Raichur Development Authority and the Town Planning Department, which jointly conducted a survey in 1988, had formulated a comprehensive plan to improve basic facilities in the city. However, it was found that implementing the plan would affect the interests of a large section of business community. The district administration concluded that clearing encroachments would help not only prevent recurrence of flooding but also provide better facilities to residents.
Several social and public organisations and NGOs had urged the district administration to clear such encroachments. In the ongoing drive to clear encroachments, about two acres government land in and around Teen Khadi and Kati Darwaza areas had been recovered, he said.
Mr. Kumar announced that the district administration had plans to constitute a trust to protect the historical fort and other monuments in the city. He said that the city municipality had received Rs. 30 crore from the Chief Minister's special grant mainly to improve basic amenities in the city.
A. Mareppa, president of the CMC, and M. Eranna, former president, said that the CMC would support the district administration in ensuring overall development of the city.
