Revanth govt mulling to increase co-opted members in municipal bodies

Hyderabad: The Revanth Reddy govt is considering increasing the number of co-opted members in the civic bodies to accommodate more Congress leaders. With the state expected to issue a formal notification in this regard in the next couple of weeks, many leaders, who either lost elections or failed to get a ticket to contest the recent municipal elections, are now eyeing co-opted member posts in municipal bodies.To accommodate party leaders, some leaders, including MLAs, assured them of getting their nomination as co-opted members. As of now, the municipalities can have two co-opted members in municipalities and three members in corporations, and one of them should be a woman member. In Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), there is a provision to have five co-opted members. The members can enjoy all privileges given to the councillors except voting rights.
Govt sources said the state might increase the number of co-opted members to five in municipalities and six or seven in municipal corporations. The cabinet is likely to discuss the issue soon. As per the rules, govt has to issue the notification for electing the co-opted members within six days of the first meeting of the councils and corporations by seeking applications and electing them in a special meeting through a voice vote. "The previous BRS govt proposed increasing the co-opted members in GHMC from the existing five to 15, including a woman and a minority person, etc. But the proposal did not get clearance from then governor Tamilisai Soundararajan. The enhancement did not take effect later," a senior municipal administration official told TOI. Interestingly, the GHMC elected body did not have co-opted members between 2021-2026, as there was competition and recommendations from the city MLAs and ministers to govt. As there was no consensus and there was a provision for only five co-opted members, the BRS govt kept the option in cold storage. Now, the Congress govt is preparing to increase the number of co-opted members, and the sources said proposals were being readied by the municipal administration department. If the proposal gets cabinet nod, it would be introduced in the upcoming assembly sessions, the sources said.The co-opted members are elected by the councillors and corporators of municipalities and corporations to utilise the services of people such as those who worked as chairpersons, mayors or vice chairpersons, advocates who worked as municipal standing councils, and retired govt gazetted employees, and those who served as area sabha members with vast experience in govt and administration.