MA & UD DEPARTMENT – Constitution of Ward Secretariats in all the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the State – Formulation of Functionaries – Orders – Issued. G.O.Ms.No. 217 Dated 20.07.2019 Ward Secretariats in Municipalities GO 217 Dated 20.7.2019 AP Ward Secretariats in Urban Areas GO 217 Dated 20.7.2019
1. G.O.Ms.No.201 MA & UD (UBS) Dept., Dt.23.06.2019.
2. From the Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration, Letter Roc.No.20026/178/2019/A1, dated 14.07.2019 and 17.07.2019.
Criteria for Ward Secretariat:
AP Ward Secretariats in Urban Areas GO 217 Dated 20.7.2019
Read the following:1. G.O.Ms.No.201 MA & UD (UBS) Dept., Dt.23.06.2019.
2. From the Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration, Letter Roc.No.20026/178/2019/A1, dated 14.07.2019 and 17.07.2019.
- Government is committed to revamp delivery systems in the State with an aim to improve living standards of the people through the concept of NAVARATHNALU as core theme of governance. To bring transparency and accountability in delivery of government services to the citizens, the government of Andhra Pradesh has announced the creation of Ward Secretariats in Urban Areas, consisting of about 10 functional assistants to work in co-ordination with the ULBs and provide services for every 4000 population in the State.
- Growing need for restructuring the delivery systems in the urban areas with an aim to establish an effective mechanism to deliver the required services to the urban populace.
- A strong & workable channel for implementation of NAVARATHNALU - the commitments made by Government to citizens to improve the living standards of people
- Transparency and accountability in delivery of government services to the citizens;
- Ensure convergence among departments providing services at ward level:
- Every line department is preparing plans as per scheme guidelines without proper linkages with other departmental schemes.
- This compartmentalised system is affecting the inter-departmental coordination, resource pooling and its convergence at the ward level.
- Hence, the Ward secretariats would make available all such services at the doorsteps of the citizens which are most essential at the ward itself, without the citizens having to approach the Municipality or Municipal Corporation.
- Delegation of administrative functions to the Ward secretariat. Ward will become a unit of administration like the State, District and Municipal level.
- 9. Government have examined the proposal of CDMA in consultation with line departments, such as Revenue, Home, HM&FW, Energy, Law and Finance Departments for their comments / views and decided for formation of Ward Secretariats and positioning of Ward Secretaries with the following modalities:-
Structure and Composition of Ward Secretariat and relation between Ward Secretariat and ULB
- Every ULB has two components – one elected body and another executive body. With a view to deliver more transparent, accessible, and responsive delivery of various Governmental services to the citizens of Urban areas, in the close proximity under People Centric Process Management System, through “One-Stop” solution and to exercise the powers of the Urban Local Bodies with the expectations of the People, Government desires to provide 10 functional assistants of line departments to be called as “Ward Secretaries” to be placed under the administrative control of the Municipal Commissioner of the respective ULB through the administrative hierarchy and to deliver the services to the citizens, through the platform of “Ward Secretariat”. Further, every Ward Secretariat, will have one Ward Administrative Secretary from ULB, for the purpose of General Administration and Co-ordination with the Line Departments. Government intends to establish ward secretariat system in the urban areas of the state with a view:-
- To decentralise the delivery of various services
- To establish such number of Ward Secretaries of various departments under the overall supervision of the ULB.
- To create administrative convenience, the ward secretaries working under a Ward Secretariat, shall cater to the needs of two or more contiguous Wards, without disturbing the autonomy of the ULB, as provided in the relevant Municipal Acts.
- The Ward Secretariats will work in co-ordination with the Ward Committees as envisaged under 74th Constitutional Amendment Act and relevant Municipal Acts.
- The Ward secretariat will function according to prescribed business procedures. The Functional Assistants to be called as Ward Secretaries of the Line Departments will function as per the job chart provided and report to the respective Urban Local Body.
- The Municipal Commissioner of the ULB will act as DDO (Drawing and disbursing officer) and the pay and allowances of all the staff of Ward Secretariat will be disbursed by him. The honorarium of Ward Volunteers also will be paid by the Secretary of the Municipal bodies.
- The detailed recruitment process of the Ward Secretaries will be submitted to Government in due course. The service rules in regard to the above shall be suitably be amended.
- The regular Supervisory Officers of the concerned line Departments shall supervise the Ward Secretaries in technical aspects.
- Duties, Roles and Responsibilities of Ward Secretaries:
- Monitoring and supervising the activities of ward volunteer
- Co-ordination of Line departments with Public
- Benchmarking of essential services
- Ensure that the benefits and government services are extended to the genuine beneficiary by conducting random verification
- Shall receive the grievances from the general public and to resolve the same
- Ensure that proper awareness is created to the families by the volunteer in his jurisdiction on health, education and other social issues.
- Ensuring delivery of various services at the door steps of the citizens.
- For formation of Ward Secretariat, the following criteria will be taken into consideration:
- The number of Ward Secretariats to be formed for each of the Election Ward shall be @ one per average 4000 Population to be calculated as per 2011 Census + 10.98 decadal growth @ 1.098% per year.
- The minimum and maximum size of population for each Ward Secretariat shall be maintained as 3000 and 5000 respectively.
- While arriving the no. of Ward Secretariats to be formed, If the population of the ward is more than five thousand, there shall be one additional Ward Secretariat for every five thousand population or part thereof, subject to the condition that any part with population of less than one thousand shall be ignored and shall be tagged to the nearest Ward Secretariat.
- Wherever the population is less than 4000, two or more wards shall be tagged together subject to the condition that any part with population of less than one thousand shall be ignored and shall be tagged to the nearest Ward Secretariat.
- While dividing the ward into Ward Secretariats Territorial Unit for the purpose of jurisdiction of the Ward Secretariat, the Natural boundaries and geographical contiguity of the areas shall be followed. The existing polling booths in the ward may also be kept in view while dividing the ward for the purpose of ward secretariat. Further while dividing the Ward into Ward Secretariats, the locality/area/slum boundaries should not be disturbed as far as possible.
- After formation of Ward Secretariats, the Municipal Commissioner shall prepare a Map showing the jurisdiction of the Ward Secretariats with the assistance of the Town Planning Staff and shall give Serial Numbers continuously starting from Ward Secretariat-1, duly maintaining the geographical contiguity.
- After that he shall prepare the list of Ward Secretariats with Boundaries (East, West, North, South etc.,) together with localities/areas/slums/PS Nos., comes within the purview of the Ward Secretariat and shall publish the same in the local daily telugu newspaper for wide publicity.
- The Ward Volunteers working in the locality/area/slum etc., shall report to the concerned Ward Secretariat.
- Thus, based on the above norms, a tentative estimate of Ward secretariats has been arrived, which is 4000. This number may change after the field validation.
- The Ward Office, Anganwadi Building, School Building, Community Resource Centre, Community Hall, Govt. Office within the Ward where sufficient space is available, shall be identified and a separate room in the said building shall be provided for the establishment of “Ward Secretariat”
- In case of non-availability of required space in a Govt. Building in a Ward, two to three Ward Secretariats of the said wards can be put in one building where such provision is there. In such case, close proximity to the general public of the ward shall be maintained.
- In the last resort, a Private Building can be taken on a minimum rent.
- Necessary infrastructure and furniture will be provided in the Ward Secretariat.
- Basis for arriving the 10 No. of Ward Secretaries in the Ward Secretariat:
