GHMC tussle: Mayor seeks CM's help - TeluguPeople.com News

Hyderabad, April 7 (INN): With Corporators vowing never to work with Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Commissioner Sameer Sharma again, Hyderabad Mayor Banda Karthika Reddy dashed off to meet Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and apprise him of the fallout of the 'battle' between the two sides.

Caught between the two warring sides, the Corporators and the GHMC officials, the Mayor took the safe route and said that she would leave the decision whether Dr Sameer Sharma would be shifted to some other department or a compromise could be arrived at.

The two sides had earlier in the day entered into heated arguments, leading to Dr Sameer Sharma walking off in a huff, along with his juniors from a General Council meeting called to take stock of the illegal constructions in the city.

Terming the walkout by the GHMC Commissioner as an insult of the General Council, Corporators Vijayalakshmi (TDP), Kaleru Venkatesh (Congress), Ahmed Balala (MIM) and B Prakash (BJP) said that they would not allow Dr Sameer Sharma to come back to the Corporation.

Earlier, bedlam had ensued during the General Council meeting forcing GHMC Commissioner Sameer Sharma and his juniors to walk out of the meeting in a huff, leaving the Corporators fuming.

Dr Sameer Sharma had walked out along with his juniors after repeatedly coming under attack by the Corporators, mainly from the Telugu Desam Party over a circular he had issued directing his staff to impose 600 per cent penalties on illegal constructions.

Earlier, the Corporators, cutting across party lines, raised objections to the strategy adopted by the GHMC to impose penalties on illegal constructions. They alleged that the GHMC was turning a blind eye while buildings were being constructed illegally in the city and then were threatening the builders with demolitions and demanding that they pay heavy penalties.

MLC Amin Jafri demanded the Commissioner to clarify if the Protocol Building besides the Jubilee Hall in the Public Gardens was accorded permission for construction. The response by the Additional Commissioner to this question was that no such permission was given.

It was then the MLC said that while even a building constructed by a citizen was targeted, the Corporation was turning a blind eye on the government's violations.

TDP Floor Leader in the GHMC Singi Reddy Srinivas Reddy accused the officials of being negligent and not stopping the constructions and then forcing the lower-rung officials to collect penalties.

Mr Singi Reddy had said that the lower level officials of the GHMC were directed to fill the GHMC kitty while the high-level officials were tapping the major builders for personal gains. He also said that the GHMC was working like the 'Banda Karthika Chandra Reddy Private Limited' and not like a Corporation formed for the people.

MIM Corporator Saleem Baig said that the Commissioner was implementing the programmes already sanctioned earlier to please the Chief Minister who had ordered the implementation of the 100-Day Action Plan for beautification of the city.

This led to objections being raised by Dr Sameer Sharma who pointed out that senior officials to the level of Deputy Commissioners and Assistant Engineers were also suspended. However, the Corporators were in no mood to listen to the GHMC Commissioner and said that he was unfit for the post.

Responding to this charge, Dr Sameer Sharma dared them to pass a resolution asking the government to relieve him from his duties in the GHMC and shift him to another department. Dr Sharma then walked out of the meeting, with his juniors in tow, and left the premises.

Earlier, as soon as the meeting began Congress and BJP Corporators staged a protest before the Mayor's podium and demanded that a resolution on Telangana be introduced.