HYDERABAD: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), which serves nearly 2 crore of Telangana’s 4.5 crore residents, has once again undergone a leadership change—its fourth in just one year. This rapid turnover in a critical administrative post has raised concerns about the continuity and effectiveness of urban governance in the state capital.
The government has appointed RV Karnan as the new GHMC Commissioner, with Ilambarathi set to take charge as Secretary of the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Department on Wednesday.
Since Lokesh Kumar’s tenure, which lasted 11 months from July 2023 to June 2024, the GHMC has seen a series of commissioners come and go. Lokesh Kumar was credited with implementing significant reforms and taking a tough stance against corruption.
He was succeeded by Amrapali, who held the position for four months—two months as in-charge and another two in a full-time capacity. Known for her dynamic approach, she formed several committees and took swift decisions while also championing the cause of women employees in the corporation.
After her transfer to Andhra Pradesh, Ilambarathi assumed charge in October 2024. With prior experience as the Khairatabad Zonal Commissioner, he introduced several structured reforms during his six-month tenure.
Ilambarathi launched a mobile app for grievance redressal, strengthened public trust in the Prajavani programme, and led a record property tax collection of ₹2,038 crore. He also cracked down on corruption within the Town Planning department, suspending 25 engineers for misconduct.
Efforts were made to streamline engineering operations, with clearer divisions for project management, SNDP works, housing, and lake development. He also developed a dedicated action plan for improving electrical infrastructure and introduced smart bins for better sanitation.
Ilambarathi played a key role in financially stabilising the GHMC by securing ₹3,300 crore from the state government and obtaining administrative clearance for ₹7,032 crore in projects under the H-City initiative.
Owing to his successful reforms, Ilambarathi has now been elevated to a crucial policy role as MA&UD Secretary. This department oversees major urban bodies including HMDA, GHMC, FCDA, HMWSSB, Metro Rail, HRDCL, and the Musi Riverfront Development Corporation.
RV Karnan, who is set to assume charge today, steps into the role at a time when the GHMC urgently requires administrative stability to ensure the consistent delivery of urban services.
Twitter Post:
GHMC gets its 4th commissioner in a year—RV Karnan takes charge as Ilambarathi moves to MA&UD. Frequent changes spark concern over Hyderabad’s urban governance. #GHMC #Hyderabad #UrbanDevelopment
