Deputy CM reviews functioning of municipal corporations and district-headquarter municipalities; directs civic bodies to improve sanitation, revenue collection, construction and scheme implementation
TFP Bureau, Raipur, September 10, 2026: Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Administration and Development Minister Arun Sao on Wednesday directed Municipal Commissioners and Chief Municipal Officers (CMOs) to adopt a more proactive and accountable approach to urban governance, stressing that officials must personally inspect cities in the morning, understand ground-level problems and ensure timely resolution.
Sao was reviewing the functioning of all Municipal Corporations and Municipalities located at district headquarters during a meeting at the Rest House in Nava Raipur. He instructed officials to accelerate city development, sanitation, revenue collection, construction works and implementation of government schemes, while ensuring that the impact of development initiatives is visible on the ground.
He said urban local bodies should not function merely as agencies for spending budgets, but must play a central role in planning the future of cities, providing civic amenities and improving the quality of life of citizens.
Sao directed Municipal Commissioners and CMOs to conduct daily morning rounds to inspect sanitation arrangements, construction works and other civic activities. Such inspections, he said, would enable officials to understand ground realities, identify emerging problems and obtain direct feedback from citizens.
The Deputy Chief Minister also called for regular reviews of revenue collection, construction activities, sanitation and implementation of government schemes on designated days every week. Engineers were instructed to ensure both speed and quality in construction projects through strict and regular inspections.
Focus on revenue mobilisation and citizen services
Sao directed civic bodies to undertake property surveys to identify newly developed properties and improve property tax collection. He also called for online property tax payment facilities to be introduced in as many urban local bodies as possible.
He instructed officials to ensure that the maximum number of eligible beneficiaries receive the benefits of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and PM SVANidhi schemes.
The Deputy Chief Minister also ordered immediate action against illegal encroachments and unauthorised constructions. He cautioned that failure to prevent illegal construction could create serious difficulties for civic bodies in providing roads, water supply, electricity and other essential services in the future.
Long-term water security plan for next 50 years
Giving special emphasis to water security, Sao directed urban bodies to organise brainstorming sessions to assess water requirements for the next 50 years. He called for comprehensive plans covering water conservation, rainwater harvesting and reuse of treated wastewater.
He stressed the need to ensure reliable drinking water supply to every household and said long-term planning must begin now to prevent future water crises.
“Officials of urban local bodies are responsible for shaping the image and future direction of cities. They must work with competence, sensitivity and accountability,” Sao said.
He also noted that investment and tourism opportunities in Chhattisgarh are expanding rapidly and urban infrastructure must be developed keeping future requirements in mind.
Urban systems must make civic bodies visible to citizens: Sonmoni Borah
Principal Secretary of the Urban Administration and Development Department Sonmoni Borah said the responsibility of urban local bodies extends beyond construction projects and implementation of schemes to ensuring that city systems function efficiently and seamlessly.
He directed officials to prepare roadmaps for future urban requirements in view of rapid urbanisation and rising public expectations. “Citizens should feel the presence of the civic body,” he said, while calling for greater public participation in civic programmes and activities.
Borah said urban local bodies have a wide constitutional mandate that includes not only basic amenities but also modern infrastructure and efficient civic systems. He stressed that the results of schemes and development works must be visible on the ground rather than remaining confined to official records.
The Principal Secretary directed civic bodies to identify vacant land for intensive plantation and development of urban forests. He also instructed officials to keep footpaths free from encroachments and ensure strict compliance with National Green Tribunal directions.
He called for regular and timely meetings of General Bodies and Mayor-in-Council (MIC) bodies.
Nalanda campuses, key schemes reviewed
The meeting also reviewed arrangements for expediting the operationalisation of Nalanda campuses under construction. Officials were directed to ensure timely availability of furniture, IT facilities, books and other essential requirements and to issue tenders without delay.
Sao reviewed the status of Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister announcements, infrastructure projects and major state and Central government schemes. These included the Chief Minister’s Nagarotthan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, 15th Finance Commission works, Swachh Bharat Mission, solid waste management, AMRUT Mission, water augmentation schemes, PM SVANidhi and PM e-Bus Service.
Other issues reviewed included revenue collection, salary payments, energy bill audits, Animal Birth Control (ABC) rules, Godhan Yojana, daily morning inspections by municipal teams, CM Helpline, implementation of the Public Service Guarantee Act and rainwater harvesting initiatives.
SUDA CEO Sumit Agrawal, Additional Director Pulak Bhattacharya, Chief Engineer Ramesh Sharma, commissioners of all municipal corporations, CMOs and other officials of district-headquarter municipalities, revenue officers, senior engineers and Joint Directors from divisional offices attended the meeting.
