The Hindu 13.02.2010
GHMC panel to clear financial plans
Special Correspondent
| Orders already issued for constituting ward committees and area sabhas |
Standing Committee to have Mayor as chairperson and up to 15 members
Committee to be formed within three months of the first meeting of the council
HYDERABAD: GHMC’s elected council is to soon have a standing committee that clears all the financial proposals with the government, coming out with guidelines for its formation and election of members. Orders have also been issued for constituting ward committees and area sabhas, where prominent citizens are to play a key role.
The standing committee will have Mayor as chairperson and it is likely to consist of up to 15 members at the rate of one member for every 10 wards and hold office for a period of one year. The committee is to be formed within three months of the first meeting of the council.
The Commissioner is empowered to prepare a voters list consisting of all corporators and also issue an election notice.
The poll is likely to take place anytime in March or April. Interested candidates should file their nomination papers along with a fellow corporator’s endorsement as the proposer.
If the number of contesting candidates is equal to or less than the number of seats to be filled, the Commissioner can declare all such candidates elected or he can hold a secret ballot. The process is markedly different from the last council where respective ward committee chairpersons automatically became standing committee members.
For ward committees, the corporator concerned is the chairperson and members are drawn electors representing the civil society (not more than 10) from the respective ward and area sabha representatives. If the ward population is more than 10,000, there will be an additional member for every 4,000 population.
Fifty per cent of the members have to be women and civil society members can be president/secretary from registered residents’ welfare associations, member of tax payers association, office-bearer of slum or senior member of a self-help group, member of a non-governmental organisation, chamber of commerce, medical council or any prominent citizen.
Interested candidates can apply, once poll notification is issued and a special meeting of council will choose from among the eligible applicants by a voice vote. Ward committee too will hold office for a year and its meetings will be open to public and decisions will be taken by a majority vote.
It can discuss civic issues and also have a ward development plan.
Each ward is to be further divided into area sabhas to be constituted within three months of a ward committee being formed. There will be one sabha for every 5,000 population with a representative nominated by the Corporation from the civil society.
