KTR holds interactive session with GHMC Ward Level Officers

Hyderabad: Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Minister K.T. Rama Rao in an interactive session on Saturday announced that 150 Ward Offices will be inaugurated on June 16 .

Each of the ward offices will have 10 staff members from various departments led by the Ward Administrative Officer (WAO). An Assistant Municipal Commissioner rank officer will be the WAO. People can lodge their civic grievances at these offices. The pioneering initiative will take administration closer to people.

One of the objectives of the offices is to ensure proper maintenance of all civic infrastructure provided under all ongoing schemes, development projects in the ward. The MA&UD Minister also said that a Citizens Charter will be released which will detail the time to redress a grievance. This will be displayed at the offices.

The following staff members are assigned to each ward office: Ward Administrative Officer (WAO), Engineer, Town planner, Entomologist, Sanitary Jawan, Community Organiser, Urban Biodiversity Supervisor, Assistant, Line Inspector, Computer Operator and Receptionist.

The Minister said that a WAO will coordinate with all government departments, escalate issues to additional or deputy commissioners or others. Ward engineers will look after roads, drains, repair or construction of community halls and other infrastructure in the ward.

They will have to address water logging issues, filling of potholes, and repair of minor patches on roads. Ward town planners monitor buildings construction, ensure public property is not encroached, and enforce building rules.

A Ward Entomologist has been tasked with the job of identifying water logging areas and undertake anti larvae operations. Ward Sanitary Jawan will supervise overall sanitation works in the ward. Ward Urban Biodiversity Supervisor is responsible for all the green programs of the government.

Similarly, Ward Community Organizer will coordinate with Self Help Groups (SHG) and NGOs. Ward Assistant will be from HMWSSB, who will receive complaints about water supply, sewerage, bills and others, and redress them. The Ward Line Inspector will attend complaints regarding power supply.

The Minister asserting that no other metro city in the country has implemented the Ward Office system, the MA&UD Minister expressed confidence in its success and anticipated that other cities in the country would adopt a similar approach in the future.