The Hindu 04.07.2013
GHMC council rejects merger of panchayats
(GHMC) on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution rejecting the
government’s proposal on merger of 15 nearby gram panchayats with it.
At
the general body meeting held here, Mayor Mohammad Majid Hussain read
out the resolution after members from all the parties raised their hands
in support at the end of nearly two hours of discussion. The government
had sent the proposal seeking the views of the council.
The
common stand was that the GHMC had so far failed to take care of the
surrounding municipalities that were merged with it few years ago and
that fresh additions were not advisable.
MIM floor
leader Mohammad Nazeeruddin said, “These gram panchayats are primarily
agriculture lands and supply fresh vegetables and pulses to the city. If
merger happens, then roads, layouts and plots will come up there and
wipe out the agricultural assets which will be a huge loss for all,” he
observed.
There was severe shortage of funds,
manpower and required paraphernalia for the GHMC to man its present
jurisdiction and how would the new areas be managed, TDP floor leader
Singireddy Srinivas Reddy asked. The government had assured funds when
the surrounding municipalities were merged but not a single rupee was
given to the corporation, he said and added,
“With
the merger of gram panchayats, the jurisdiction will be so vast that
helicopters will be needed to monitor and manage them.”
BJP
floor leader Bangari Prakash said the government seems to have decided
on the merger, but appropriate budget should be provided before hand.
Congress floor leader Diddi Rambabu and former Mayor Banda Karthika felt
the issue needed to be studied and assessed properly and brought back
to the council.
Amid the debate, GHMC Commissioner
M.T. Krishna Babu intervened and said the GHMC was facing problems of
garbage disposal and a local body at Jawaharnagar would resolve to close
the dump yard there. But if Jawaharnagar was with the GHMC then it
could be convinced against any such move, he said.
The
argument failed to find acceptance and some members retorted, “We are
talking of development and you are talking of dumping garbage there.”
