GHMC council meet goes virtual

The annual GHMC budget of Rs 5,600 crore for the financial year 2021-22 will be placed before the council for approval

Hyderabad: Unusual circumstances call for unusual approaches. And for the first time ever, the council meeting of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) will be held online on June 29.

This is after the Covid-19 pandemic made physical meetings not so safe, and with the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) too deciding to hold its standing committee meetings online, the GHMC is using technology to make sure its functioning is not affected by the pandemic.

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The civic body’s IT wing is gearing up for the meeting and is short-listing the app through which the online meeting can be held.

“We checked a series of apps, mostly the meeting will be held through Webex app. A final decision is yet to be taken,” an official from the IT wing said.

The credentials will be shared to the corporators, ex-officio members, officials and all the members who are part of the council a day before the meeting or one hour before the meeting commences.

The annual GHMC budget of Rs 5,600 crore for the financial year 2021-22, which was approved by the committee, will be placed before the council for approval.

“Respecting Covid-19 norms and the safety of 150 corporators, staff and media representatives, we have decided to conduct the General Body Meeting virtually for the first time ever,” Mayor G Vijaya Laxmi said.

While some GHMC corporators see the move as a much needed step, some opined that equal opportunities should be given to all members despite the meeting being held online.

“Conducting a meeting online is a good initiative taken up by GHMC. Virtual meets will ensure the works do not slow down. Despite the pandemic, our TRS party corporators were on the ground assisting people and monitoring civic works,” said Sindhu Adarsh Reddy, GHMC corporator from Bharati Nagar ward.

AIMIM’s Akberbagh corporator Syed Minhajuddin feels the South Zone should get more time to discuss requirements, including more funds for the GHMC Charminar zone.

“In the general body meeting agenda, only two of them pertain to the South zone. Why is GHMC neglecting the South Zone?” he questioned.

BJP corporators opined that equal opportunity and ample time should be given to corporators. “Though the meeting is online, sufficient time should be given to all the corporators so that grievances are placed before the council,” said Venkatesh Derangula, GHMC corporator from Jubilee Hills ward.

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