Jammu, July 15: The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has come under fire for its failure to adhere to the Municipal Act 2000, as it has conducted only seven General House Meetings (GHMs) in the past five years, falling significantly short of the mandated 60 meetings, which translates to one GHM per month.
Adding to the concerns, elected Corporators of the SMC have been denied development funds for over a year and a half, leaving 74 wards without necessary resources for progress. Aaqib Renzushah, the Corporator for ward 03-Brane Srinagar, expressed frustration, stating, “Despite our repeated requests for the last year and a half, we have not been provided with funds to carry out development works in our wards.”
With the SMC’s tenure set to end in November this year, the lack of GHMs raises questions about the body’s commitment to addressing development issues. The last GHM took place in September 2021, leaving Corporators without a platform to raise concerns and seek resolutions for their respective wards.
Out of the 17 GHMs conducted by the SMC in the past five years, only 7 were dedicated to the Corporators and their development-related issues. The remaining 10 meetings were called for other purposes, such as adopting Acts, electing committee Chairmen, and selecting the Mayor and Deputy Mayor. These special sessions did not focus on addressing the development needs of the wards.
Interestingly, even the rural areas of Srinagar under panchayats have received more development funds than the Corporators of the SMC. The disparity in resource allocation further highlights the neglect faced by the city’s elected representatives.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, the SMC Mayor remained unresponsive to inquiries regarding this critical issue.
