KTR Praises GHMC Staff, Spells Out Pioneering Decentralisation Efforts

Hyderabad: Hyderabad has set Tokyo as the benchmark for cleanliness. MA&UD minister K.T. Rama Rao set the target for the GHMC on Saturday, even as he set out a plan for the GHMC ward offices that will be inaugurated on June 16.

Rao said that in the country’s first such decentralisation, each of the 150 wards will have a separate office where people can lodge their civic grievances.

Each ward office will have 10 staff members from various departments led by a ward administrative officer (WAO), who will be of assistant municipal commissioner rank.

Rama Rao was speaking during an interaction with ward officers at a meeting to commemorate Good Governance Day held as part of the state decennial formation day celebrations, and said the GHMC staff had transformed the living conditions in the last nine years.

The meeting was attended by senior GHMC officials, animal husbandry minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav, BRS MP Dr G. Ranjith Reddy and MLAs from Hyderabad.

Rama Rao urged ward officers to involve the ex-service man and those keen on community building activities in planning and execution of works.

The minister said that the ward officers will coordinate with all government departments. Ward engineers will have to look after roads, drains, community halls and other infrastructure in the ward apart from addressing water logging issues, filling of potholes and repair of minor patches on roads.

Ward town planners will monitor construction of buildings, ensure public property is not encroached and enforce rules. The entomologist has to identify water logging areas and undertake anti-larval operations.

While sanitary jawans will supervise overall sanitation works, the urban biodiversity supervisor will be responsible for all the green programs of the government. The community organiser will coordinate with self help groups (SHGs) and NGOs.

The ward assistant, who will be from HMWS&SB, will receive complaints with regard to water supply, sewerage, bills and others, and redress them.

“As IT minister I have a glamorous job, wearing English attire, meeting global leaders and people, but it is tough to be a municipal minister. It is a thankless job. Each morning and night the staff will be working tirelessly in the service of the people,” Rao said.The minister instructed zonal commissioners to closely monitor the newly-floated system in the initial two to three months by when everything would have fallen in place.