Chief Minister Raman Singh on Tuesday called upon the people's representatives and Government officials to develop smart cities in a phased and planned manner.
Drinking water should be provided to the citizens on a regular basis. Maintaining cleanliness in cities should be the top priority of the urban body representatives, he said while addressing a day-long workshop of people's representatives and officers of the local urban bodies here.
All the 3232 municipal wards in the State should have toilets and door-to-door garbage collection facility, Singh said.
If the cities are clean and neat, then only they can be called as 'smart cities,' he said.
Singh called upon the public representatives and officers to inculcate politeness in tune with the smart city culture. It is the need of the hour that people's participation should be encouraged and the urban bodies mobilize their own financial resources, he said.
The workshop was attended by mayors of 12 municipal corporations, presidents of 44 Nagar Palikas, residents and Speakers and heads of a total of 112 Nagar Panchayats.
The Chief Minister in his address said that Raipur and Bilaspur cities had been selected for Smart City Mission. Even Bhilai will be developed as ‘Super Smart City’ with its own fiscal resources, he said.
The other urban bodies also can become smart cities with their own resources, Singh said.
Urban Development Minister Amar Agrawal was present as a Special Guest at the workshop.
The Chief Minister later felicitated the representatives of Municipal Corporations, Nagar Palikas and Nagar Panchayats for work on ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ and for building community toilets, public toilets and private toilets.
Singh also unveiled the logo of Bhilai Super Smart City on the occasion.
The Chief Minister said that Chowki Development Block in Rajnandgaon district will be declared open defecation-free on January 26 next year. The urban bodies also can achieve this distinction. Singh said that cleanliness is connected with public awareness. Urban bodies' representatives and the citizens are equally responsible for the cleanliness of the environment.
The people's participation should be ensured and it is of utmost importance to maintain high standards of cleanliness.
The officers should listen to public grievances and be polite towards them.
Bus-stands, railway stations, markets and grave yard and their ghats should be clean.
It will create a positive opinion regarding the work of local bodies, Singh said.
He assured the gathering that the State is duty-bound to help the local bodies in the financial matters.
Urban Administration and Development Minister Amar Agrawal said that the workshop is being held to prepare a detailed plan of action to make urban bodies more effective in their working and meet the aspirations of the citizens.
Urban Administration Department Principal Secretary R P Mandal gave a detailed account of the steps to be taken to improve the functioning of the local bodies.
A Master Plan will be prepared for the next 20 years.
An amount of `21 crore had been sanctioned to install 321 water ATMs in 169 urban bodies in Chhattisgarh, he said.