Mohammed Nooruddin
Hyderabad, 25 November:
The GHMC General Body approved the merger of 27 municipalities located within the Outer Ring Road limits into GHMC. The approval came without any discussion. The proposal was brought before the members as a table item. AIMIM opposed the sudden move and demanded a separate meeting on the issue.
The government sent a notification explaining the reasons for the merger. It stated that the population in the city is rising fast. It added that uneven development in the surrounding areas and the need for a common master plan made a unified civic system important. The government stated that a single administration will improve public services and help urban growth in the metropolitan region.
The list of municipalities includes Pedda Amberpet, Jalpally, Shamshabad, Turkayamjal, Manikonda, Narsingi, Adibatla, Tukkuguda, Medchal, Dammaiguda, Nagaram, Pocharam, Ghatkesar, Gundlapochampally, Thumkunta, Kompally, Dundigal, Bolarum, Tellapur, Ameenpur, Bandlaguda Jagir, Meerpet, Boduppal, Peerzadiguda, Jawaharnagar and Nizampet.
Mayor Vijayalakshmi Gadwal placed the proposal before the members. It was not part of the original agenda. AIMIM’s Charminar MLA Mir Zulfiqar Ali said the issue required discussion. He stated that such an important item should not be pushed without notice. AIMIM members raised objections inside the hall. The Mayor approved the proposal during the noise and adjourned the meeting.
Earlier in the meeting, the Mayor announced a government decision to allocate 2 crore rupees for each GHMC division for development works. GHMC has 150 divisions. One crore will be spent on the recommendation of the corporator. One crore will be released with the approval of the district in-charge minister. Mayor Vijayalakshmi Gadwal thanked Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for the approval.
The meeting opened with tributes to former MLA Maganti Gopinath and AIMIM corporators Muzaffar Hussain and Ande Sri. AIMIM corporators Rasheed Faraz and Syed Minhajuddin recalled the services of Muzaffar Hussain. They said he entered public life at a young age and worked under Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi. They added that he served people until his last days.
The meeting then moved to a proposal raised by BJP MP Raghunandan Rao. The Mayor agreed to mark 150 years of Vande Matram by playing Vande Matram along with the Telangana anthem Jai Jai Hai Telangana. AIMIM strongly opposed the move. Despite the protest, Vande Matram was played. BJP corporators raised slogans during the song. They shouted that everyone must stand for Vande Matram. AIMIM members responded with protests. They said India belongs to every citizen.
The uproar continued between the members of both parties. The Mayor adjourned the meeting for a tea break. This was the last general body meeting of present body which going to end on February next year.