Not My Call: GHMC Mayor On Ramky Contract

GHMC Mayor Mohammad Majid Hussain on Saturday clarified that the corporation's contract with Ramky on garbage disposal was being honoured following orders by the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

Addressing a press conference here, the Mayor said that it was incorrect on part of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Employees Union to threaten a stir over the agreement with Ramky. He said that the union had challenged the Ramkys agreement in the High Court which had directed the GHMC to maintain status quo. He said that it was in view of the court orders that he had visited the Jawahar Nagar Dump yard to review works.

The Mayor said that if the employees did not lift the garbage, then it would cause inconvenience to the 85 lakh people living in the GHMC limits. He offered to hold talks with the GHME union.

Speaking about Saturday's general meeting of GHMC, Majid Hussain said that the meeting had to be adjourned following the non-cooperation of members. He informed that GHMC's special meeting would be held on February 6 to pass the corporation's budget. Later, another general meeting will be held.

Majid Hussain also refuted allegations that he was not convening the GHMC meeting to prevent BJP corporator C Uday Kumar from taking oath. He said that the addition of one corporator in the BJP's list would not affect anyone. He said that he had proposed to hold the GHMC's meeting four times in the last seven months. The meeting was cancelled twice due to the COP-11 and once due to the special session of the Legislative Assembly on the SC/ST sub-plan. (INN)

Meanwhile, members of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Employees Union threatened to protest by dumping garbage at the MIM headquarters at Darulsalaam and in front of Mayor Majid Hussain's residence if the contract with Ramky was not cancelled.

Talking to reporters here, GHMEU president U Gopal said that several unions were against the contract given to Ramky for lifting of garbage as hundreds of people would lose their livelihoods. He demanded that the contract be cancelled with immediate effect.

Earlier, the GHMC employees had tried to lay seize to the corporation's headquarters at Tank Bund. Addressing the agitating employees, GHMC Mayor Mohammad Majid Hussain had said that the contract with Ramky was signed by his predecessor Banda Karthika Reddy of Congress party and that he was not empowered to cancel the agreement. He advised the union to approach the High Court against the contract. (INN)