For speedy and quality execution of various works taken up in the city by Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), a proposal has been mooted for entrusting local development works to residential welfare associations and increasing administrative sanction powers to the civic body.
The committee of elected representatives, constituted by the Telangana government for studying the GHMC affairs, has come up with the recommendation of handing over local development works costing up to Rs. 10 lakh to residential welfare associations. At the same time, the powers vested with the Commissioner to sanction works is sought to be increased from the present Rs. 50 lakh to Rs. 2 crore.
The new proposal also wants the powers vested with the GHMC Standing Committee to sanction works to be raised from the present Rs. 2 crore to Rs.10 crore and that of the General Body to Rs. 50 crore from the present ceiling of Rs. 5 crore.
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As of now, the civic body has to approach the State government seeking sanction of proposals worth Rs. 5 crore and above. The committee of elected representatives has suggested that if the GHMC General Body gets equipped with powers to sanction works till Rs. 50 crore, proposals worth more than this ceiling could be sent to the government for approval.
Apart from filling up the existing vacancies in the engineering work, the recommendations also wanted new contractors to be encouraged with focus on those with work experience and from weaker sections and also new policies drafted to provide them with working capital and equipment through banks.
Issues affecting speedy and quality execution of GHMC works included delays in sanctions due to old administrative and technical sanction powers. Noting this, the committee added that a total of 15,318 works had only 1,416 active contractors and 304 engineers.
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