The Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei received the mayor of Tehran and city councilors and also the mayors of various municipal districts of the capital on Saturday, March 4.
Speaking at the meeting, the Leader referred to Tehran as an influential cultural, political and social center in the country. He called on municipal officials to try to turn the capital into a city with an Iranian-Islamic identity, a beautiful, enlivening and strongly-built city enjoying public welfare.
Ayatollah Khamenei hinted at the fact that members of the Tehran municipal council and also the officials who are active at the Tehran Municipality are faithful, revolutionary and dedicated individuals. He added that this favorable opportunity should be highly valued and appropriately utilized.
"The people have shown in various elections that they are in favor of officials who are committed to serving the public and who adhere to Islamic and revolutionary principles. Therefore, the Tehran city councilors and municipal officials should cooperate within a logical and legal framework and make every effort to extend sincere services to the public," Ayatollah Khamenei told the audience.
Further in his statements, the Leader of the Islamic Republic emphasized that the solving of the problems facing the capital is contingent on the commitment, religious faith, honesty, scientific knowledge and expertise, eagerness to serve the public, willingness to dispense justice and moral and financial soundness of various municipal managers.
"Therefore, great care should be taken in appointing officials to municipal positions, since any carelessness in this regard will create numerous problems for the public and their everyday lives," the Leader noted.
As regards the problems facing Tehran, Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the lack of identity as the main problem that the Iranian capital is presently suffering from. He stressed that through long-term planning and earnest efforts, the Iranian-Islamic identity of the capital should be restored.
"The beauty of a city has positive mental and psychological effects. Besides, the city of Tehran should have the necessary facilities conducive to public welfare, especially an efficient transportation system. The municipal officials should also give top priority to making the city, in particular populous districts with dilapidated buildings, resistant to natural disasters," Ayatollah Khamenei told the gathering.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader advised municipal officials to consolidate their ties with the public, hold the people in high regard and try to gain their trust and facilitate and expedite the handling of public affairs. He stressed that such criteria should be observed by municipal officials in their relations with the public.
Ayatollah Khamenei also referred to the cultural centers affiliated with the Tehran Municipality as among the important issues that should be dealt with by municipal officials.
"Cultural centers should be dominated by a spiritual atmosphere and aim to promote Islamic and revolutionary values. Besides, they should be managed by committed, revolutionary and faithful officials," Ayatollah Khamenei noted.
Before the Leader's statements, the chairman of the Tehran municipal council, Mahdi Chamran, presented a report on the council's activities and its ratifications. He said that the council plans to draw up and ratify a comprehensive and detailed map of Tehran in compliance with the city's 20-year perspective document.
The Mayor of Tehran Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, also speaking at the meeting, presented a report on the measures taken by the Tehran Municipality over the past five months. He said that some 20 basic requirements of the capital have been identified in the above period.
"This has caused municipal officials to try to improve the financial structure of the Tehran Municipality and promote financial discipline, raise the city's safety standards, improve the public transportation system, prevent and deal with social maladies, rectify the city's administrative structure, mechanize municipal services, activate construction projects and draw up comprehensive plans to achieve the above objectives," the Tehran mayor pointed out.