Vijayawada: Second phase of Manam-Mana Parisubhrata from October 2

Vijayawada: The state government would launch the second phase of Manam-Mana Parisubhrata to achieve better hygiene conditions in the rural areas from October 2, said minister for panchayat raj and rural development Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy.

In a letter to the people's representatives, the minister said on Wednesday that the first phase fortnight-long celebrations of the cleanliness drive programme yielded good results in maintaining clean atmosphere and hygienic conditions in the villages.

The first phase was launched on June 1 last year and the ministers, MLAs, MLCs and other people's representatives widely participated in it on July 24 which was a stupendous success. He complimented the employees of panchayat raj who worked hard to take the programme to the people.

The fortnight-long programme brought awareness among people in villages the importance of the services like drinking water, sanitation, side drain system, garbage dumping, health centres and others. The minister said that it also helped in making selected villages as open defecation-free villages on pilot basis.

Following the implementation of the celebrations, the spread of seasonal diseases was contained. Moreover, people came forward and donated Rs 1.72 crore to various village panchayats.

The minister said that panchayat raj principal secretary Gopal Krishna Dwivedi and commissioner Girija Sankar personally took initiative in the implementation of the programme.

Ramachandra Reddy exhorted people to participate in the second phase in large numbers to make our villages clean and green.

He also appealed in his letter to the people's representatives to participate in the second phase of the hygiene programme to make the programme a grand success.