West Godavari [India], March 15 (ANI): Giving a clarion call to the people of the State to become active partners in achieving the goal of Swatch Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday felt the need for everyone to make stringent efforts for environmental protection.

Participating enthusiastically in the Swarnandhra-Swatchandhra programme at Tanuku in West Godavari district, the Chief Minister laid emphasis on maintaining the surroundings, schools, colleges, government offices, open areas and the places of worship along with their houses.

The Chief Minister promised to bring the State back on track and take it on a progressive path despite the heavy destruction caused by the previous rulers and also imposing a huge debt burden of Rs 10 lakh crore.

Recalling the day, March 15, 1978 when he first entered the Assembly, the Chief Minister said that he received the extraordinary honour that no one else in the State has received.

'My sole aim of serving the Telugu people. We are bringing in reforms in administration. The people have blessed the alliance of the TDP, the BJP and the Jana Sena. The State is embarking on the developmental parth with the cooperation of the Centre and a clear policy has been adopted in the name of Swarnandhra-2047,' the Chief Minister observed.

CM Naidu asked the gathering whether the previous rulers had mingled with the people and said that moving behind the curtains they even cut down the trees though moving in the air. The situation was so bad that the people could not express their opinion freely and imposed a debt burden of Rs 10 lakh crores on the people by simply looting the State, he regretted.

'We are now paying both the principal and interest besides imposing tax on the garbage. This apart, they got their photos printed on the pattadar passbooks,' the Chief Minister remarked and made it clear that the State Government will take the responsibility to issue the passbooks now with an official seal. Maintaining that the previous rulers have made every attempt to grab lakhs of acres of land by bringing in the Land Titling Act, the Chief Minister said that they are now resorting to counter-attack in the guise of politics to cover-up their blunders.

He felt that sustainable development is possible only with a stable Government. It is the only Andhra Pradesh Government in the entire country which is spending a whopping Rs 33,000 cr per annum for paying pensions to 64 lakh beneficiaries.

'I only have revised the monthly pension from Rs 200 to Rs 2,000 and as per the promise made during the electioneering the Rs 3,000 pension has now been increased to Rs 4,000. Dialysis patients are being paid Rs 10,000 each while those who are confined to the bed are being paid Rs 15,000 each thus proving our humanity,' CM Chandrababu remarked.

The Chief Minister said that Super-Six guarantees are being implemented as promised during the elections and reaffirmed that form May Talliki Vandanam will be distributed for all the children in every house irrespective of the number of kids. 'WhatsApp governance has been introduced so that the people need not make rounds to the government offices while an insurance facility is being provided for middle-class families which facility is not available anywhere in the country,' he said.

'Also, we will take the responsibility to pay Rs 20,000 each under Rythu Bharosa and the amount due is being credited to the accounts of the farmers within 48 hours of purchasing the grain. In fact, almost 85 per cent of the roads in the State are pothole-free now and the entire credit comes to this Government,' the Chief Minister said.

In the entire country the highest average per capita income is recorded in Telangana due to efforts made by him as chief of the combined State for nine years, he said and expressed concern that Andhra Pradesh has recorded the lowest per capita income as there was no development in the State in the past five years.

The Chief Minister felt the need for the people to take cleanliness, hygiene and environmental protection as a movement. Now technology is available to prepare compost under Waste-to-Energy, he said, adding that one tonne of garbage can be composted every day. Asking the people to work for society, he said that everyone should give proper respect to sanitary workers like how he made them sit next to him on Saturday.

Giving an assurance to the municipal workers that the State Government will take the responsibility of coming to their rescue, he asked the people not to throw the garbage outside to pollute the surroundings. Appreciating those who have come forward to create awareness among the people on single-use plastic, he said that plastic destroys nature besides causing several diseases to the people, including cancer.

Once Punjab was the rice-bowl of India but now the people are falling prey to cancer after eating the grains grown in that State as the farmers there are using pesticides and chemical fertilisers, the Chief Minister pointed out. One can easily imagine the situation that daily one train from Punjab carries only cancer patients to New Delhi, he remarked.

'My mother-in-law died of cancer and after setting up a cancer hospital in her name, the Basavatarakam Cancer Hospital, we are extending medical services to the patients. Now Dr Nori Dattatreyudu, an oncologist, has been appointed as advisor to give suggestions to the State Government on prevention of cancer,' CM Chandrababu maintained.

Declaring that he will make surprise visits to the State after October 2, Naidu told the gathering that they will again witness the Chief Minister of 1995. 'One will know the visit only just a couple of hours before and the MLAs need to rush,' he stated.

Maintaining that in the whole country it was he who first introduced the clean and green programme in the combined State, he said that he had submitted a report on Swachh Bharat under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's directions. 'My sole aim is transforming Andhra Pradesh into a clean State. Our objective is Swarandhra and Swatchandhra,' he said.

The Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban development, Narayana, is working hard to ensure that by October 2 there is no garbage in any public place, the Chief Minister said and declared that 100 per cent sewage water will be cleaned by 2027 to make use for agriculture. After the TDP-led NDA came to power 4.6 lakh toilets have been sanctioned of which construction of 72,000 has already begun, he said and stated that community toilets will be constructed in all urban areas and mandal headquarters.

Performance indicator rankings will be given for each department as part of the Swatchandhra programme, the Chief Minister said. The style of functioning of everyone will be monitored regularly through IVRS, he said and announced that Rs 150 cr will be released as grant by the Pollution Control Board for undertaking various works in the Municipal Administration wing.

Calling the MLA of Tanuku, Radha Krishna, a dynamic leader, the Chief Minister said that funds will certainly be sanctioned for various works in the segment as sought by the MLA. The Chief Minister administered oath to the people as part of Swatchandhra programme and he even cleaned the surroundings along with sanitary works. (ANI)