Nizamabad: Special Officers to rule from today

Nizamabad: The term of the governing body of Municipal Corporations and municipalities concludes on Tuesday (July 2) and the Special Officers will start ruling from Wednesday (July 3).

The term of office of Municipal Corporation and Municipalities expired on July 2, five years after the municipal governing body took over. Since the municipal elections are conducted, it is mandatory to appoint Special Officers.

There is one municipal corporation and five municipalities in the undivided Nizamabad district. In 2014, elections were held for the municipalities of Armoor, Bodhan, Bhimgal, Kamareddy and Banswada along with Nizamabad Corporation. The governing bodies functioned for five years and elections have to be conducted within the stipulated time.

But elections to Legislative Assembly, Gram Panchayats, Lok Sabha and local bodies have continued for the past eight months and municipal elections haven't conducted. Following the government orders, special officers have been appointed across the State till the election are conducted.

Special Officers will assume duty on Wednesday (July 3). Mayor, deputy mayor, chairman, vice-chairman,corporators and councillors, who had ruled the major cities for five years, will now become former representatives.

The government had appointed Nizamabad District Collector MRM Rao as a Special Officer for Nizamabad Corporation. Armoor RDO was made as the special officer for Armoor municipality and Bodhan RDO became the special officer. Kamareddy District Collector Satyanarayana has been made the special officer of Kamareddy municipality. Now the officials, along with their regular duties, have to focus their attention towards their new responsibilities.

Since September 30, 2010, the special officers' tenure was fixed as two-and-a-half-years. Their ruling is expected to last approximately two months until the elections are over, with the State-level planning to conduct the elections in August. However, in view of past experience it was criticised that the administration of the authorities is not up to the mark. Special emphasis on sanitation and drinking water is now a matter of special concern to the special officers.

Especially at a time of prevalence of diseases during the monsoon time, it will be challenging for these special officers to increase their supervision in towns and maintain their responsibilities, which is an additional burden to them.