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.