Mayor-GHMC Rift Widens; Rose Gets Backing Of Zonal Chiefs

The six zonal commissioners are holding meetings with corporators, or have scheduled interactions, without inviting the mayor, who normally presides over all zonal-level meetings. Secunderabad zonal commissioner Ravi Kiran held a meeting with corporators of his own on Monday. Deputy mayor and Tarnaka ward corporator from BRS, Mothe Srilatha Shoban Reddy, who is to join the Congress after having met Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, also attended the meeting along with those from the BJP and the BRS.

Recently, Serilingampally zonal commissioner Sneha Shabarish held a meeting with corporators from her zone. Similar meetings have been planned in other zones.
Amid the ongoing issue related to fraudulent billing of sanitation works and the rift between the mayor and commissioner, GHMC additional commissioner for sanitation wing R. Upender Reddy applied for leave and has stopped reporting for work. It is likewise with zonal commissioner of LB Nagar zone S. Pankaja, who is also on leave.
Recently, after some corporators criticised the mayor and commissioner for delaying the council meeting, and a BJP corporator approached the High Court, the mayor met Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and complained against the commissioner.

Following this, a council meeting has been scheduled for February 19 and officials, who presumed that things were sorted out, are now baffled with ZCs holding meetings without inviting the mayor.