Staff Reporter
HYDERABAD: In a bid to empower Residential Welfare Associations, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has offered to handover the responsibility of maintaining streetlights and garbage disposal system to residents instead of private contractors.
Special Officer and Commissioner of GHMC C.V.S.K. Sharma while interacting with members of United-Federation of Resident Welfare Associations on Saturday said that GHMC would support with funding and infrastructure while maintenance would be the job of residents.
“This is the only way we can solve the niggling problems with private contractors. Moreover, from August 16 we would start levying penalties on households, which litter colonies with domestic waste. The residential welfare Associations can select their own persons to take care of streetlights and garbage disposal,” Mr. Sharma said.
Speaking on the issue of dumping of debris, created from construction activity, in colonies, Mr. Sharma maintained that heavy penalties would be imposed on those who indulge in this activity. He said that GHMC vehicles would be kept at various zonal offices for removal of debris, however, the civic body would charge for its services.
The meeting of GHMC and representatives of Residential Welfare Associations (RWA) have decided to chalk out a MOU and prepare a framework to take up developmental works at colony level. The GHMC Commissioner also invited the members of welfare associations to be a part of the co-ordinating committee meetings to be held twice a month.
The members of RWAs requested GHMC officials that they should be consulted periodically by the ward level and zonal level officials to achieve proper maintenance of facilities in colonies. Office bearers of Federation of Residential Welfare Associations president for Forum for Better Hyderabad, M. Ved Kumar were among others who participated in the meeting.
