Indore, July 27: Union Health Minister Sushma Swaraj today said the monsoon session of Parliament "had a meaningful discussion" on empowering civic bodies, especially making them more powerful by devolution of powers and strengthening their financial position. "A motion was adopted to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the 73rd and 74th amendment related to empowering civic bodies at the session,” she said in her address at the concluding session of South Asian mayors' conference here.

The results of the discussion would be beneficial for urban bodies, the minister said.

Pointing out that "the issue of public health is a major issue before civic bodies in the country and they should take steps for keeping it healthy", she said numerous diseases like malaria, kala azar, dengue and Japanese encephalitis can be effectively checked by taking precautionary measures.
Swaraj urged the mayors, attending the two-day conference, to take steps to check population, improving sanitation facilities and asked them to give top priority to eradicating polio in their agenda

Bureau Report