The Hindu 05.03.2013
GHMC ready to handle cost of maintenance works
The GHMC proposes to spend Rs.35 lakh to Rs.40 lakh for maintenance works at the divisional level brought into focus during the area sabhas and ward committee meetings.
GHMC Commissioner M.T. Krishna Babu on Monday accepted that the conduct of area sabhas and ward committees was not satisfactory with just a few meetings held in a majority of the 150 divisions in the last three years although it was mandated in the Act.
Orders to corporators
Letters were written to all the corporators to conduct the area sabhas every three months and ward committee meetings every two months, he said, pointing out that the A.P. High Court too had issued directions to the municipal corporation to conduct these local meetings regularly as per the Act.
Interacting with presspersons after the third round of ‘Prajavani’ where he received grievances from the citizens, Mr. Krishna Babu explained that a voluntary body had approached the HC complaining about irregular conduct of the two grass-root level meetings.
Ward committee meetings
“We have already held a meeting with all 150 ward committee secretaries and 18 Deputy Commissioners to sensitise them about holding purposeful ward committee/area sabha meetings as the HC called for action against officials responsible. Resolutions passed during the ward committee and area sabha meetings should be computerised and sent for necessary action,” he said.
Grievances
Earlier, the Commissioner received 36 complaints mainly about encroachments, illegal constructions, neighbours unauthorised constructions, delay in processing BPS applications, high property tax rates and so on.
CPI MLA G. Mallesh sought construction of public toilets at Durganagar basti as the previous one had collapsed. Mr. Krishna Babu said the civic body is ready, provided the maintenance part is taken care of.
Among the complainants were: Habiba Sultana of Mallepally about neighbours’ construction invading her privacy with windows facing her house, P.V. Narasimha Reddy and others appealed for saving their plots from road widening at Gachibowli while P. Lakshminarayana claimed his BPS application was not being processed.
Municipal Commissioner proposes to spend Rs.35-40 lakh at divisional level.
