Municipal elections likely in May

HYDERABAD: The state government wants elections to both old and new municipalities held at one go by the end of May this year based on the Census-2011, minister for municipal administration and urban development M Maheedhar Reddy has said.

Speaking with reporters after a review meeting with chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy here on Friday, the minister said the chief minister had given clear instructions to the department to start the poll process immediately and complete the exercise as soon as possible and see that polls were held in May this year.

``As the government formed 42 new municipalities by merging villages with nagar panchayats, the process of delimitation (boundaries) of wards and divisions will begin immediately and the exercise will be completed in about 45 days. Moreover, the population of SCs and STs is likely to increase as per the latest census and reservation has to be provided accordingly,’’ the minister said.

``There are 125 old municipalities and corporations and elections are due to more than 100 of them. The term of a few are going to expire soon and elections to them will also be conducted at the same time. Though officials sought time till June for holding elections, the chief minister did not agree to their request,’’ Maheedhar Reddy said.

The chief minister asked the officials to finalise the staffing for the newly-constituted municipalities within three days. He directed that all pending JNNURM works relating to underground drainage, storm water drains and drinking water schemes should be completed by the end of March.

He directed the finance department to lift the freezing of municipal fund, which is to the tune of Rs 250 crore, in a phased manner. Projects are in progress to provide safe drinking water in all the urban local bodies (ULBs) and for disposal of waste water in a scientific manner.

Kiran Kumar Reddy asked the Hyderabad Metro Water Supply & Sewerage Board to hasten the Godavari and Krishna Phase III projects to supply drinking water to the state capital to the meet the ever-increasing demand for water.

Under the 13th Finance Commission grants, Rs 1,254.60 crore will be released on furnishing Utilisation Certificates for last released and performance grants of Rs 664.25 crore on fulfilment of nine specified conditions.

The nine conditions stipulated by the commission can be considered as reforms to improve financial status as well as governance of ULBs.

Andhra Pradesh is the first among the states that have been recommended by the ministry of urban development for the Finance Commission’s grants.