HYDERABAD: After the new body of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) took charge, no steps have been initiated by the State government for the constitution of ward committees yet.
As per the rules, ward committees should be constituted for each ward of the GHMC within three months from the date of the first meeting of the Municipal Council.
As per Article 243-S of the Constitution of India, ward committees have to be constituted in each urban local body. Since the GHMC elected body assumed charge on February 11, 2021, the ward committees should have been constituted before May 10, 2021.
According to Section 17 of the Telangana Municipalities Act 2019, in every municipality, ward committees should be constituted for every ward separately representing youth, women, senior citizens, NGOs and other eminent people from the ward. Each of the committees may consist of 15 members. Ward Committee is chaired by the ward corporator.
Ward committees act as a bridge between people and the civic body. They identify problems in the ward and inform the concerned authorities. They act as a pressure group to desist the use of plastics, unauthorised constructions and tax compliance.
The term of office of the members of ward committees is co-terminus with the term of office of the GHMC Council.Two months ago, the Forum for Good Governance had requested the State government to constitute ward committees.