Telangana Govt to introduce Ward Administration system in Hyderabad: KTR

HYDERABAD: Taking a step closer to adopting the Ward Administration System in Hyderabad, Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Minister K.T. Rama Rao held a detailed review meeting with officials to comprehensively discuss the plan to introduce the new system. The meeting was held at the newly inaugurated Dr B.R. Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat on Wednesday, where the Minister spoke about the State government’s objectives and aims of the new system.

Recalling the series of steps taken under the leadership of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao to decentralize governance and take administration closer to the doorsteps of people, KTR said that new districts, revenue divisions, mandals were created. Along with them, the State government was successful in bridging the gap between people and administration through newly formed municipalities and village panchayats. The Minister said that the Ward Administration System would be introduced to further the vision of Chief Minister KCR.

Rather than going all the way to circle or zonal offices, the new system would help people approach ward offices located nearby to get their works done, lodge complaints and give suggestions to the State government, said the Minister.

He said that this would aid the government to know of people’s grievances quickly and resolve them.

The Ward Offices would be established in 150 wards of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits in Hyderabad. About 10 officers would be available at the ward offices. An official of Assistant Municipal Commissioner cadre would be incharge of the Ward Governance System.

Officials from sanitation, power supply, roads maintenance, entomology wing, veterinary wing, town planning, water board and other wings would be attached to him. Besides implementing the State government’s programmes, they would receive complaints from people and resolve them.

The Minister asked officials to put in place the Ward Administration System by the end of this month (May) and to prepare the teams, consisting of staff, which would be assigned to the Ward Offices. They had to be trained on the objectives, aims, the way it would function and other aspects. He asked officials to ensure that design of the Ward Offices were uniform and citizen friendly. The Minister said that the Ward Offices had to be interconnected using technology and also utilize social media. KTR said that the Ward Administration System would ensure that there were no delays in delivering municipal services to people.

Special Chief Secretary of MA&UD Arvind Kumar, Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board’s (HMWSSB) Managing Director Dana Kishore, GHMC Commissioner D.S. Lokesh Kumar and heads of other departments were present at the meeting.