Empowering women & welfare of dwellers is my agenda: Jayasudha

She is an award-winning actress and probably the finest. She dabbled in politics five years ago and won the Secunderabad Assembly seat. She admits the journey has heen tough. She is in it to leave her mark. In an interview with Aditya Parankusam, actor- turned politician Jayasudha Kapoor shares her tryst with politics and more. Excerpts;

Drinking water is a major problem in many segments of your constituency. What are you doing to address it?

I have sanctioned 14 power bore wells to address the water problem in ‘basthis’. They were set up at Keshava Nagar in Mettuguda and Venkat Nagar in Addagutta. These have partially addressed the supply problem. It can be solved permanently when the master plan for drinking water is implemented. The plan is being delayed because of certain technical issues and funds.. I have sought Rs 150 crore to fund the project.

After Jubilee Hills, Secunderabad has many ‘basthis’, which have perennial sanitation issues. What have you done to tackle them?

I have sanctioned Rs 35 lakh for the construction of drainage at Mangaroadi Basthi. Nala-widening works have been taken up. I have ensured that there are no open drains.

A shopping complex at Chilkalguda was demolished. What are the plans for the vacant land. How are you going to use it?

We are building a municipal market complex there under BOT (build, operate and transfer) basis. Not only does this provide direct/indirect employment, it also increases the land value nearby. Plans are on to turn Chilkalguda and Sitafalmandi as major market centres to generate employment to locals.

Why people have to vote for you. What do you promise if elected again?

Plans are in place to construct a vocational training centre for SHG (self-help group) women. I have forward a proposal for a urban health centre at Addagutta and an Urdu-medium school. Rs 13 crore is sanctioned for the RUB at Thukaramgate. We have allotted houses, 304 each at Hamal basthi, Azad Chandra Sekhar Nagar and 160 at Chandrababu Naidu Nagar. The uncertainty prior to polls and the election code delayed this process.

You are known as a strict disciplinarian in the film circuit. Has it affected your political career?

I have been getting advice that politics and discipline don’t gel. I am vehemently against permit rooms at bars and open drinking. I have received many complaints that women don’t leave their house because of that. I raised the issue with police. This made them launch false propaganda that I am not available and I don’t visit slums. No area MLA batted for the cause of basthi-dwellers, like me.

What is your agenda?

The works I have completed and works in the pipeline. I am batting for empowering women and welfare of basthi-dwellers.