HYDERABAD: Expressing her anger at the HMWS&SB for not inviting corporators to the inauguration or foundation stone laying of water and sewerage projects within their respective wards, Mayor Gadwal Vijayalaxmi assured the agitated public representatives that she and GHMC Commissioner D Donald Rose will take up the issue with the MLAs concerned and Water Board MD M Dana Kishore to ensure that such incidents don’t reoccur.
Several corporators expressed their anger during the council meeting, accusing the HMWS&SB of not following the protocol and neglecting to inform them about various functions within their wards. The issue particularly arises when MLAs inaugurate development projects and lay foundation stones without extending invitations to the corporators, especially when the works pertain to HMWS&SB initiatives.
She emphasised that officials hold the responsibility of notifying corporators about ongoing works within their wards, even when undertaken by other departments. She urged the GHMC to collaborate with HMWS&SB authorities to address this issue. Furthermore, she pledged to personally communicate with legislators concerned to ensure the presence of corporators at public functions.
Ronald Rose affirmed the commitment to follow protocol and indicated that he would personally take up the matter with Dana Kishore in this regard. The council also deliberated on the regularisation of contract workers. BJP corporator Vanga Madhusudhan Reddy, former deputy mayor Baba Fasiuddin from the BRS and Salim Baig from the AIMIM collectively appealed to the State government to regularise the services of outsourcing employees. The mayor recognised the significance of the issue and underscored the need for in-depth discussions regarding its pros and cons.
Rs 6.5 crore penalty on EESL
Regarding the issue of streetlights, the GHMC has imposed a penalty of Rs 6.50 crore on Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) for the inadequate maintenance of streetlights in the city. The GHMC is actively working to replace malfunctioning street lights as promptly as possible. Numerous corporators expressed dissatisfaction with the poor upkeep of streetlights and called for corrective action.