Complete 2 L TIDCO houses, officials told

Vijayawada: Municipal administration and urban development principal secretary S Suresh Kumar directed officials to expedite the completion of TIDCO houses, with the state government aiming to hand over two lakh houses to beneficiaries by June 12, 2025.

During a video conference with municipal commissioners on Monday, he emphasised the urgency of completing the projects to mark the state government’s one-year milestone. He instructed commissioners to personally inspect TIDCO housing sites and ensure all work is completed by the deadline. Re-allotment of houses to beneficiaries must be finalised by April 30.

On sanitation, Suresh Kumar set a target for all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to achieve 100 per cent door-to-door garbage collection and source-level waste segregation by October 2, 2025. Commissioners were directed to monitor these activities daily and launch extensive awareness campaigns involving NGOs, civil society organisations, welfare associations, self-help groups, and local communities. He also stressed the desilting of drains before the monsoon and the development of Swarna Andhra parks in all ULBs.

To address summer water scarcity, special attention will be given to 39 ULBs facing potential shortages. Commissioners of Eluru, Gudivada, and Machilipatnam were instructed to coordinate with district collectors and relevant departments to ensure a continuous water supply by filling summer storage tanks.

Suresh Kumar reviewed the progress of Anna canteens, directing commissioners to conduct regular inspections, engage with citizens, and personally dine at these facilities at least once to verify food quality and service standards.

On revenue, he urged officials to enhance tax collections, offering rebates where applicable as per regulations. Municipalities ranking in the bottom five for revenue collection were advised to show significant improvement by the next review.

Additional directives included streamlining building permissions with a two-day approval timeline, promoting the PM Surya Ghar Yojana to install 10,000 rooftop solar units per Assembly constituency, and prioritising e-waste management under the SASA (Swachh Andhra Swarna Andhra) program for the current month.

The principal secretary said that these tasks are high-priority, requiring regular monitoring and timely reporting. Performance will be reviewed periodically.

The meeting was attended by senior officials, including P Sampath Kumar, (CDMA), Teja Bharat, (MD, MEPMA), Sunil Kumar Reddy, IFS (MD, TIDCO), Anil Kumar Reddy (MD, SAC), along with municipal commissioners and MEPMA project directors.