Garbage throwers in for heavy punishment

Municipal commissioners to get magisterial powers STRATEGIC ROAD Development Plan will be in place in four areas including Shamirpet and Uppal. Nalas in the city

Municipal commissioners will be given magisterial powers to penalise those throwing garbage, plastic and construction waste on the roads, illegally installing posters, banners or flexis, scrawling graffiti in public spaces, defacing public property and defecating in the open.

Cases will be booked against politicians, irrespective of the party they belong to, if they are associated with illegal advertisements. The government will be tough on violators and the new powers will be enforced from January 1, 2017, said minister K.T. Rama Rao.

The minister headed a meeting with GHMC, metro water and sewerage board, HMDA, the Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy collector and other municipal departments on Thursday. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the development of 54 junctions with regard to roadwidening and infrastructure that will cost `489 crore.

The Strategic Road Development Plan will be in place in four areas including Shamirpet and Uppal. Nalas in the city which will be expanded and de-silting started from January next year.

GHMC teams have surveyed 606 km and found that 8,239 structures had encroached on nalas. The GHMC is looking for ways to rehabilitate those whose homes are on the nalas, he said.

The minister said that the state government has called for tenders to build 15,000 two-bedroom houses in the city. Also 2,700 km of roads will be dug for installation of new water pipelines. The Water and Sewerage Board has been directed to call for tenders for immediate road restoration.

“Every five to seven kilometres, a team from the water board will set up boards with details of the project and contact number of the officials concerned so that the general public can approach them in case of any road restoration," the minister said.

He said that bus shelters in the city will be revamped and the funds will be contributed by the legislative members of the concerned area.

The next meeting will be held on January 3 to review the progress of the work.