Taking a step closer to adopting the ward administration system in Hyderabad, Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Minister KT Rama Rao held a detailed review meeting with officials to comprehensively discuss the plan to introduce the new system. The meeting was held at the newly inaugurated Dr BR Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat on Wednesday, where the minister spoke about the State government’s objectives and aims of the new system.
Recalling the series of steps taken under the leadership of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to decentralise governance and take administration closer to the doorsteps of people, KTR said that new districts, revenue divisions and mandals were created to this end. Along with them, the State government was successful in bridging the gap between people and administration through the newly formed municipalities and gram panchayats. The MA&UD Minister said that the ward administration system will be introduced to further the vision of CM KCR.
Rather than going all the way to circle or zonal offices, the new system helps people approach ward offices located nearby to get their works done, lodge complaints and give suggestions to the State government, said the minister. He said that this will aid the government to know of people’s grievances quickly and resolve them.
The ward offices will be established in 150 wards of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits. About 10 officers will be available at the ward offices. An official of Assistant Municipal Commissioner cadre will be incharge of the Ward Governance System. Officials from sanitation, power supply, roads maintenance entomology wing, veterinary wing, town planning, water board and other wings would be attached to him.
The MA&UD Minister directed officials to put in place the ward administration system by the end of May and to prepare the teams, consisting of staff personnel, which will be assigned to the ward offices. The minister said that the ward offices have to be interconnected using technology and also utilise social media. KTR said that the ward administration system will ensure that there are no delays in delivering municipal services to people.
Special Chief Secretary of MA&UD, Arvind Kumar, Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board’s (HMWSSB) Managing Director Dana Kishore, GHMC Commissioner DS Lokesh Kumar and heads of other departments were present at the meeting.
