Corporators bent on jaunt

HYDERABAD: Despite the Lokayukta questioning the purpose of the corporators' study tours and their outcome so far, the elected representatives are gearing up for another outing in March. This time, they are planning to visit either Gujarat, Maharashtra or Kerala.
The 150 corporators had initially planned a study tour in November 2012, but the trip was put on hold as the Lokayukta asked the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to submit a report on how the previous study tours had helped improve civic services.
The GHMC allocates funds every year for the study tours so that the corporators can replicate the development and the best civic practices adopted in other cities in Hyderabad. However, the so called study tours have turned into mere jolly trips for corporators.
On Lokayukta's directions, the GHMC had submitted last month a report on the action taken. Since the budget allocation for the 2012-13 fiscal is set to lapse in March, the GHMC standing committee has already sanctioned the tour proposal. Arrangements are now being made to utilise the amount before March 31 this year.
The civic body has earmarked Rs 4 crore in the budget for travel and study tour for 2012-13. If the tour happens as per plan, this year the GHMC would incur an expenditure of about Rs 1.5 crore. For the 2013-14 fiscal, the budget for study tour was cut to Rs 2 crore in view of criticism from different quarters.
In the past three years, corporators visited Delhi, Kolkata, Shimla, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Darjeeling and North-Eastern states like Gangtok. Incidentally, cities like Shimla, Darjeeling and Gangtok are geographically not bigger than a zone in the city and the conditions are different there. Many corporators are reportedly not interested in visiting Chennai or Bangalore as they had already visited these cities on their own.
"Usually, after returning from the study tour, the corporators submit their observations and recommendations on best practices to be adopted in Hyderabad. As they have been visiting tourism and entertainment spots, there have not been any reports in the past few years," a GHMC official admitted.
When contacted, GHMC secretary MSS Somaraju said the corporators have given options like Ahmedabad, Pune and Thiruvananthapuram for study tour this year, but dates are yet to be finalised.