GHMC council meet: TDP, BJP cry foul

Several civic issues are pending, as no general body meeting held in the last six months: TDP floor leader

The Telugu Desam corporators have served a notice to GHMC Commissioner M.T. Krishna Babu and Secretary M.S.S. Somaraju demanding a general body meeting of the council to be held in the next few days.

TDP floor leader Singireddy Srinivas Reddy said that it was more than six months since the last general body meeting was held and several pending civic issues related to the city’s well-being need to be discussed urgently.

Mr. Reddy, who had protested outside the Commissioner’s chambers on Saturday along with his fellow corporators, said 38 members had signed on the representation seeking the council meeting and it constitutes one-sixth of the total members required to requisition such a meeting.

“If the general body meeting is not held soon, we will intensify our protest and even approach the courts,” warned Mr. Reddy. But, officials not wanting to be quoted, insist that it would be the Mayor’s call unless there is a court direction.

Current rules state that general body meetings are called at the discretion of the Mayor and though Mr. Mohd. Majid Hussain had assured monthly meets, the council had not meet over several months now for various reasons.

In fact, Mr. Hussain had abruptly postponed a meeting scheduled on Saturday last (December 15), just a day before, without assigning any reason. While the estranged Majlis ally, Congress party is in a disarray with its floor leader K. Venkatesh switching allegiance to the YSR Congress party, it was left to the TD and the BJP to cry foul.

BJP corporators led by Bangaru Prakash and senior leaders, including national secretary K. Laxman laid siege to the Mayor’s chambers demanding a date for the meeting.

Their contention was that the Mayor’s sudden move was to thwart their party candidate Uday Kumar from being sworn in as the Langar Houze corporator since MIM’s Ravi Kumar, was disqualified by the High Court for having three children.

The Majlis had approached the Supreme Court and a six weeks notice was issued for the case to be heard. Mr. Uday Kumar has three months deadline to be sworn-in.