Hyderabad: GHMC chief Lokesh Kumar asks top brass to pull up socks

Hyderabad: GHMC Commissioner Lokesh Kumar on Wednesday instructed officials to lay greater focus on expediting and completing developmental works and sanitation measures.

Speaking to Additional Commissioners and Zonal Commissioners, he exhorted them to keep smartphones aside while travelling in the city and observe surroundings. "Keenly observe sanitation, lighting, water leakages and potholes on roads, apart from inspecting developmental works," he said. They should also inspect lighting on tail-end and interior roads, instead of merely focusing on main roads.

Lokesh Kumar called for keen cooperation among officials for successful exercise of illiteracy survey, beggar rehabilitation measures, basti dawakhanas, construction of modern toilets, protection of lakes, roads in city outskirts, sanitation, dredging of nalas and other key issues.

Making city beggar-free

The Commissioner issued orders to the officials to look for beggars at various junctions, spiritual places, main roads for four to five days, and take measures to shift them to rehabilitation centres. He insisted that organised begging should not be allowed in the city. Begging by children should be considered a social crime. Officials were asked to conduct committee meetings with voluntary organizations and related agencies in this regard.

Better care in night shelters

Reviewing facilities at night shelters, Lokesh Kumar suggested that newspapers and TVs be provided at night shelters for recreation, apart from providing 24-hour food facility. He suggested that maintenance of beggar rehabilitation may be handed over to organisers of orphanages and old age homes for better upkeep and care. He ordered issue of Aadhar and ration cards to rehabilitated beggars, apart from implementing various government social security schemes for their well-being.

138 more Basti Dawakhanas

On the public healthcare in the twin cities, he said that the state government had set a target of establishing 300 Basti Dawakhanas, two each for every ward. He said that a total of 122 Basti Dawakhanas were being run currently and 40 additional centers were made ready with all the basic amenities. Zonal Commissioners were assigned the work of developing basic amenities at 54 additional centres. As many as 84 additional locations were identified for establishing Basti Dawakhanas.

50 nalas to be widened

Discussing about nala widening works, Lokesh Kumar said that of 344 nalas in the city, nala widening works were initiated in 50 nalas. He instructed officials to ensure that dredged material be shifted on the same day. He instructed zonal commissioners to take measures to start nala dredging works on war footing.

Among those who attended the meeting include EVDM director Vishwajit Kampati, additional commissioners J Shankaraiah, Jayaraj Kennedy, B Santhosh, Priyanka Ala, zonal commissioners Pravinya, V Mamatha, N Ravikiran, B Srinivas Reddy, Upender Reddy, Ashok Samrat, chief engineer Zia Uddin and others.

3000 toilets to be built

Lokesh Kumar said that 3,000 modern toilets, 500 for each zone, would be built in the city and 1,661 locations were identified for the purpose. He ordered officials to identify remaining 1,339 locations. He suggested zonal commissioners build toilets on build-on-operate (BOO) basis in order to save maintenance and construction costs. He said that tenders for pre-fabricated public toilet will be called within one week.

Speaking about preservation of water bodies, he said that 185 lakes were identified in GHMC limits. He instructed officials to take necessary measures to utilise full capacity of tanks and take up fencing works. Measures were being taken to install cc cameras, watch towers with search lights and appoint security guards at lakes, he said.

As part of improving sanitation measures, officials were instructed to make it mandatory for all shopping complexes and business organisations, including kirana shops, fruit vendors, tea vendors and pan shops, to place two dust bins before their establishments. This would raise awareness on sanitation among people, he opined.