Hyderabad Election officer, Ronald Ross suspends 40officers for skipping trainings
Hyderabad:District Election Officer(DEO) and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Commissioner (GHMC), Ronald Ross suspended 40officers, most of whom were Presiding Officer(PO) and Assistant Presiding Officers(APO) for not attending the mandatory training sessions organised in view of upcoming elections in the state. The state is going for the Parliamentary elections on May 13, 2024.
In view of parliamentary elections in Secunderabad and Hyderabad the officers from different state departments were assigned election duties. Further the officers were asked to attend mandatory training sessions to avoid any mistakes during performing the election duties.
Emphasis is made during the training session regarding the mistakes made during the Assembly elections held six months ago. However many of them skipped the training session. Taking a lenient view, DEO organised training sessions more than a couple of times giving them the opportunity to rectify their mistakes and attend the session. However, even after several notices were issued to the officers, they skipped the training sessions resulting in their suspension.
Repeat alerts ignored
As the officers did not attend not even one session, DEO ordered the suspension. The DEO said that “they were suspended for violation of the Representation of the People Act (RP Act) 1951”.
As the third phase of training sessions are being conducted for PO and APO on May 9 and 10, the District Election Officer warned that similar action will be taken against those who did not attend the training sessions.’
According to the data released by the election officials, in Hyderabad district there are a total of 45,91,201 voters comprising 23,38,857 male voters, 22,52,008 female and 336 third gender voters. Telangana state is going for elections for 17 parliamentary constituencies including Secunderabad, Hyderabad and Secunderabad cantonment assembly bye election which fall under Hyderabad District. Forty Five candidates from Secunderabad, thirty candidates from Hyderabad constituency, 15 candidates from Secunderabad Cantonment assembly bye election are in fray.
CM Revanth Reddy reorganizes disaster management for Greater Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has decided to assign critical responsibilities to the Disaster Management Department within Greater Hyderabad. He has directed officials to implement structural changes and redistribute responsibilities accordingly. In a review meeting at the Secretariat on Monday evening, the Chief Minister discussed the reorganization with officials from Municipal Administration, HMDA, and Musi Development.
Expansion of disaster management responsibilities
Recognizing the geographic expansion of Hyderabad, the Chief Minister ordered the Disaster Management Department to extend its jurisdiction to the Outer Ring Road. He suggested including GHMC, 27 surrounding municipalities and corporations, and 33 gram panchayats within its service area. The department will be renamed the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring Protection (HYDRA). The Chief Minister proposed appointing a DIG-level officer as the director and SP-level officers as additional directors. He also recommended special teams from GHMC, HMDA, the Water Board, city traffic, and other departments to join this new division.
The Chief Minister emphasized the need for the Disaster Management Department to offer continuous services to city residents, not just during floods or emergencies. HYDRA should actively address all issues faced by Hyderabad’s citizens, including preserving the city’s tanks and ponds, protecting government properties from encroachments, and managing hoardings and flex banners. Additionally, HYDRA will oversee water pipelines, electricity supply lines, drainage, flood management, and traffic control.
Focus on heritage and infrastructure projects
Chief Minister Reddy directed the acceleration of the Musi River Development Project, aiming to elevate Hyderabad’s international reputation. He stressed the importance of working towards the government’s goal of transforming this project into a landmark. He also ordered officials to take necessary actions to restore historical buildings and structures within the city. The GHMC presented a PowerPoint on various heritage sites, such as the City Library, Charminar Ayurvedic Hospital, and Nizamia Observatory etc. The Chief Minister encouraged exploring ways to develop these sites for tourism and integrating feasible ones into the Musi River Development Project.
The Chief Minister instructed Chief Secretary Shantikumar to draft a comprehensive reorganization plan, including staffing, duties, and budget allocations for HYDRA. He also emphasized identifying key areas where the Disaster Management Department can enhance its operations.
The meeting included Chief Secretary Shantikumar, Principal Secretary of Municipal Administration and Urban Development Danakishore, GHMC Commissioner Amrapali, GHMC Vigilance Disaster Management Commissioner A.V. Ranganath, and Hyderabad Water Board MD Ashok Reddy.
