Several months have passed since the new state government took office, but over 60 retired employees in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), Hyderabad Metro Development Authority (HMDA), and Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) are still holding on to their jobs. These employees had their services extended by the previous BRS government after they retired.
Initially, 110 retired officials had their services extended on the recommendation of former chief secretary Somesh Kumar and former MA&UD special chief secretary Arvind Kumar. While GHMC commissioner Ronald Rose has already terminated the services of over 50 of these officials, around 60 remain in their posts.
Among those still working is Sridhar Gupta, an HMDA employee over 80 years old, who oversees work related to the Outer Ring Road (ORR). Additionally, P. Anuradha, who manages the command control room in the GHMC, and Raj Kumar, who works in the Mayor’s office, recently had their services extended by the commissioner. The extension of services for Vijay Krishna, an officer on special duty to the Mayor, is pending state government approval.
Similarly, M. Satyanarayana, the executive director of HMWSSB, has received multiple extensions and is still in his post. With elections over, a major reshuffle is expected in the GHMC. The commissioner has ordered the preparation of a list of officials who have been in the same position and department for over three years. This reshuffle aims to eliminate irregularities.
A GHMC official mentioned that it’s not just senior officers who have lobbied for extensions. For example, during the BRS regime, the former MA&UD Minister’s office recommended extending the service of a driver named Pandu in the transport wing. Even lower-level employees, like computer operators and sanitation supervisors, often received orders directly from the MA&UD Minister’s office during the previous regime.
