Hyderabad Mayor advocates ad-free city

Hyderabad, October 10 (INN): The Standing Committee of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation on Wednesday decided to conduct health camps in hot spots areas for mosquito breeding by duly involving the local corporators.

Earlier, the Standing Committee members had a heated discussion on the issue of outbreak of dengue and other viral diseases in the GHMC limits during its meeting held at the GHMC Headquarters at Tank Bund.

Committee's members belonging to the Congress party pulled up the officials for their negligent attitude in conducting the anti-larval operations.

They demanded stern action against the officials concerned. Based on their suggestions, GHMC Mayor Mohammad Majid Hussain announced that besides taking up anti-larval operations at a large scale health camps would be conducted in the affected areas.

Meanwhile, some Committee members raised the issue of request for exchange of land at Jubilee Hills made by former MCH Mayor Teegala Krishna Reddy. It may be mentioned that Teegala has sent a request for exchange of plot at Jubilee Hills which was rejected by the Standing Committee on September 29, 2010 in view of High Court orders.

The request was also rejected by the State Government on April 29, 2011. However, Teegala again submitted a representation to the GHMC Mayor for revision of the layout by way of exchanging the plots.

In the last meeting of the Standing Committee, the GHMC Mayor has reportedly approved the request without having discussion.

However, the issue was again raised by the Standing Committee member A Jitendra on Wednesday and following a discussion the issue was adjourned for next meeting for further discussion.

The Congress members also pointed out that the South India Shopping Mall was re-opened the next day after it was sealed by the GHMC officials. They asked the logic behind sealing and re-opening of the shopping mall.

Further, during the Standing Committee meeting, the Mayor has directed that all the open lands of GHMC should be fenced within one month's time and also asked the officials to furnish the details of open lands in peripheral areas to the Standing Committee.

The Additional Commissioner (Planning) has also been directed to submit the details of buildings who have applied for occupancy certificate by next meeting.

The GHMC Mayor also directed the concerned officials to look for the provisions to make GHMC advertisement free city. He said that Ad agencies were minting crores of rupees from the GHMC properties like bus shelters and controlling the GHMC by getting court stay orders.

He said the earlier agreement of advertisement wings were not properly entered which made the agreements 'timeless'.

Majid Hussain also proposed that a six member committee comprising two Standing Committee Members and four officials, to be constituted to prepare the advertisement policy for the GHMC.

He also proposed to construct 50 bus shelters in old city area. He directed the officials to prepare the list of 50 bus shelters to be constructed in the old city.

The GHMC Mayor also instructed the Additional Commissioner (Advertisement) to submit a list of the court cases on hoarding and bus shelters to the Standing Committee by next Standing Committee Meeting.

It has also been decided to call the Standing Council to the next meeting of standing Committee Meeting. It has been decided to hold a meeting with the officials of APCPDCL regarding cell towers.