Banda Karthika steps down

"An eco-friendly Mayor and one who did not burden the people with taxes," that is how B. Kartika Reddy wants to be remembered. She put in her papers as the First Citizen here on Monday and the resignation was submitted to GHMC Commissioner M.T. Krishna Babu.

Ms. Reddy also announced that the Council meeting would be held on December 17 when her resignation would be ratified and the process of electing a new Mayor from the Majlis party would be initiated. Deputy Mayor Jaffer Hussain is expected to submit his resignation to her a day before the meeting.

"I resigned as per my party instructions and would extend my cooperation to the new Mayor," she told presspersons at a press conference. Her two year term was "satisfactory" and she thanked all the officers and fellow public representatives for extending their cooperation to her during her stint.

DRIVE AGAINST PLASTICS

"I came straight from home to this post. It took me six months to gauge the political and administrative intricacies and in the last one-and-a-half years several innovative schemes were initiated for the city development," she said. Ms. Reddy was especially proud of her drive against usage of plastic bags of below 20 microns.

"No other city has taken up such a drive," he pointed out and hoped that the civic administration would continue to strictly implement the ban. Flanked by her fellow party corporators, she explained that city infrastructure development plan estimated to cost Rs.1, 400 crore had been approved so was a new pedestrian policy where footpaths would be given prominence.

Mahila Bhavans have been built in 15 circles while lack of sufficient plots delayed the project in other places. Sports complexes were opened in all constituencies at Rs.122 crore was built under the 100-day action plan of the Chief Minister.

The second phase of 100-day was also ready to be unrolled.

A lot of progress was made in taking up rail over and under bridges at several places while 49 junctions were slated to be improved.

About 32,000 self-help groups got Rs.300 crore bank loans while an office for the differently-abled was opened. The Standing Committee presided over by her had approved 951 resolutions and works would be taken up in due course of time.