Branding the city

28-year-old IAS officer Mohammed Musharraf Ali Faruqui is spearheading change in the city, one project at a time. As Additional Commissioner of GHMC, IT, he is on a mission to create Brand Hyderabad, surrounded by his young, dynamic team.

Musharraf grew up in Hyderabad and went on to study at IIT Chennai, after which he worked as a chip designer with Intel. But in the second year at the company, he started preparing for the Civil Services. “I got selected in 2014 and trained in Mussoorie till 2016. Post that, I worked as Sub-collector, Metpally, Jagtial district and following a couple of additional charges, I have been with GHMC since January,” he says.

The young IAS officer is clearly brimming with ideas. “There is an urgent need to change the way the government works. We need to use more technology and change our attitude. Citizens have a right to more transparency and accountability. Gone are the days of bureaucratic elitism, now we have to be smarter, quicker and more open in terms of scrutiny and receiving ideas and feedback. Only then will government efficiency grow,” he explains.

Multiple Initiatives

“One of the first things I did after assuming charge was to introduce a biometric system for over 18,000 of our sweepers in Hyderabad and for the GHMC staff. We also plan to have face ID recognition to keep a record of attendance, materials used etc. I also monitor sweeping machines, two BHK housing and street lights,” Musharraf states.

Describing the city’s first waste-to-energy plant, he says, “The first plant will be commissioned soon and the second will be live by next year. Each will generate about 28 MW of energy (with 1 MW of energy roughly requiring 4000 metric tonnes of garbage). These could consume about 20 to 30 per cent of the garbage that Hyderabad generates every day.”

Teamwork

As a man who walks the talk, Musharraf has brought a young and energetic team on board. “Each of our six young engineers in the IT department have taken up new things. The government today has to be very receptive to ideas, and be more creative, committed and energetic,” says Musharraf, adding, “One of the major challenges in the government is inertia. A very experienced man is difficult to mould, whereas freshers are full of energy. We are also in touch with start-ups and enthusiastic citizens who want to do something to bring about a change.”

Under his supervision, Musharraf’s team has formed an integrated dashboard to track citizen grievances. “96 per cent of the grievances are being solved,” he says proudly, adding, “The GHMC app also has several other features like Near Me (to locate the nearest Annapurna canteen or the nearest toilet among other things), Where am I (to find the nearest municipal office), a form to apply for your voter card and even weather alerts.” Musharraf is quick to add, “We are still evolving. Of the 20 to 25 lakh households in Hyderabad, we would like at least 50 per cent to have access to this app.”

As Project Director of the Charminar Pedestrian Project, Musharraf says, “Charminar is a very special project for me. After first learning about it at age six, coming back as Project Director feels ecstatic.”

Elaborating on some of the works undertaken, he states, “Pedestrianisation has been completed in all the four directions before Ramzan. We are now trying to introduce other changes such as electrical sweeping machines, facade development, cleaning of Pathargatti, sandblasting and uniform signage among others. We are also in talks with France for a Tramway in the area.” Musharraf proudly says, “Since pedestrianisation, the footfalls in the area has increased. The entire place is getting a facelift.”

Of course, Musharraf acknowledges that none of this would have been possible without support from his superiors. “Everyone has been very supportive. We are getting faster approvals and decisions. The Charminar Pedestrian Project is a case in point. Infrastructure wise, close to Rs 200 crore has been spent. The idea was to protect the monument and make it  better for people.”

As for his vision to create a Brand Hyderabad, Musharraf says, “There should be no gaps between the old city and the new city. People should be as comfortable in Charminar as they would be in Gachibowli. They should feel a sense of responsibility and take pride in being the citizens of the city.”