Efforts on to improve basic amenities in city

* World Bank funding Rs 150 crore for replacing old pipelines throughout the city: Anantapur MLA
* Says Rs 440 crore underground drainage project is under consideration
* Flays Jaganmohan Reddy for showing immaturity in the Assembly as the leader of the opposition
* MLA, who is also panel Speaker, advises Jaganmohan to learn from the wisdom of his father YS Rajasekhara Reddy

Anantapur: Local MLA V Prabhakar Choudhury said that he and the city Mayor Swaroopa are working together to improve basic amenities in the city.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Prabhakar said that an action plan has been chalked out to ensure that the people do not face drinking water scarcity during the summer. He said that tankers are being pressed into service to areas which have water scarcity.

A toll-free number will soon be announced for people to call the number in the event of non-supply of water to their area or in case of scarcity of water. He revealed that water filters are being supplied to all the SC,ST and BC residential schools to ensure supply of protected drinking water.

The MLA, who is newly appointed as the panel speaker in the Assembly, said that the World Bank is funding a water pipeline replacement project worth Rs 150 crore aimed at plugging leakages and replacement of the age old pipelines throughout the city. This would arrest all leakages and evaporation losses and help in conservation meagre water resources. The water pipeline leakages are resulting in water pollution.

The growing traffic problems in the city will also be addressed by undertaking repairs of roads and expanding existing ones besides laying new roads. As part of stepping up vigilance in the city, 600 CCTV cameras are being installed at strategic locations in cooperation with the police. General public and philanthropists will be involved in raising funds for the project. Rs 4 crore will be incurred on the project. Already 55 CCTV cameras are installed in the city.

Prabhakar revealed that as part of the beautification of the city, an underground drainage project is also under consideration with the assistance of the Central government. The project costs Rs 440 crore and is proposed under Amrut scheme.

On his contribution in the form of debates in the Assembly, Prabhakar said that he was the only MLA, who raised largest number of questions on people's problems. He said that YS Jaganmohan Reddy was showing immaturity on his style of functioning as the leader of the opposition in the Assembly.

He was displaying a sense of haste in every comment on the ruling party. His tall talk of bringing down the government boomeranged with eight of his own party legislators switching loyalties to the ruling party. Unlike his father Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, Jaganmohan was taking hasty decisions. He advised Jaganmohan to learn from the wisdom of his late father.