State Act

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act, 1955.

88. The Corporation shall meet for the despatch of business and shall from time to time, make such bye-laws with respect to the summoning, notice, place, management and adjournment of such meetings, and generally with respect to the mode of transacting and managing the business of the Corporation including the submission, asking and answering of questions under section 122 as they think fit, subject to the following conditions:— (a) the ordinary meeting in the month immediately preceding the month in which the first meeting referred to in clause (b) is held shall be held not later than the twentieth day of the month so preceding; (b) the first meeting after general elections shall be held within a month of the publication of the declarations under section 66 on such day and at such time and place as the Commissioner may fix; (c) the day, time and place of meeting shall in every other case be fixed by the Mayor, in his absence by the Deputy Mayor and in the absence of both the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor by the Chairman of the Standing Committee 152[and every such meeting shall be held atleast once in three months;] (d) the Mayor or in his absence the Deputy Mayor or in the absence of both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor the Chairman of the Standing Committee may whenever he thinks fit, and shall, upon a written requisition signed by not less than one-sixth of the whole number of #[members] or by not less than four members of the Standing Committee, call a special meeting; (e) every meeting shall be open to the public, unless a majority of the #[members] present thereat decide by a resolution which shall be put by the presiding authority, of his own motion or at the request of any #[member] present without previous discussion, that any inquiry or deliberation pending before the Corporation is such as should be held in private, and provided that the presiding authority, may at any time cause any person to be removed who interrupts the proceedings; (f) if at any time during a meeting it shall be brought to the notice of the presiding authority that the number of #[members] present inclusive of the presiding authority, falls short of one-fourth of the whole number of #[members], the presiding authority shall adjourn the meeting to some other day, fixing such time and place for the same as he shall think convenient, and the business which remains undisposed at such meeting shall be disposed of at the adjourned meeting or, if the latter meeting should be again adjourned, at such adjourned meeting, whether there is a quorum or not; (g) 153[XXX] every meeting shall be presided over by the Mayor and in his absence by the Deputy Mayor or in the absence of both the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor by such one of the #[members] present as may be chosen by the meeting to be the Chairman for the occasion; (h) at least seven clear days’ notice shall ordinarily be given of every meeting, other than an adjourned meeting, but in cases of urgency any such meeting may be called, except for the purpose of considering an annual budget estimate, in pursuance of a written requisition signed by not less than four members of the Standing Committee, upon a notice of not less than three clear days; of adjourned meetings such previous notice shall be given as shall be practicable having regard to the period of the adjournment; (i) every notice of a meeting shall specify the time and place at which such meeting is to be held and the business to be transacted thereat other than questions under section 122 and shall be given by the Municipal Secretary 154[in the manner prescribed;] (j) any #[Member] who desires at any meeting to bring forward any business, other than any questions under section 122 or to make any substantive proposition, which is not already specified in the notice of such meeting, shall give written notice of the same to the Municipal Secretary at least three clear days before the day fixed for the meeting; and a supplementary announcement of the business of propositions, of which notice has been so given, shall be given by the said Secretary 154[in the manner practicable] not later than the day previous to the meeting; (k) except at a meeting called on a requisition of urgency or at the discussion at any meeting of a budget estimate, no business shall be transacted at any meeting other than the business specified in the notice 154[given] under clause (i) and any questions asked under section 122 or urgent business not specified in the said notice which the Standing Committee, or the Commissioner deem it expedient to bring before the meeting, and no substantive proposition shall be made or discussed which is not specified in the said notice or in the supplementary announcement, if any, 154[given] under clause (j), or which is not in support of the recommendation of the Standing Committee, or the Commissioner, as the case may be, with reference to any urgent business brought by any of those authorities, respectively before the meeting: Provided that no such urgent business as aforesaid shall be brought before any meeting unless at least three-fourths of the #[members] present at such meeting, such three-fourths, being not less than one-sixth of the whole number of #[members], assent to its being brought forward thereat; (l) at a meeting called on a requisition of urgency and during the discussion at any meeting of a budget estimate, no business shall be transacted and no substantive proposition shall be made or discussed which does not directly relate to the business for which the urgent meeting was called, or to the budget estimate as the case may be, and no proposition involving any change in the taxes which the Standing Committee propose to impose, or an increase or decrease of any item of expenditure in a budget estimate, shall be made or discussed at any meeting at which such budget estimate is under consideration, unless such proposition is specified in the notice of the meeting 155[given] under clause (i) or in the supplementary announcement, if any, 155[given] under clause (j) or unless, in the case of an adjourned meeting, each of the conditions mentioned in the proviso to clause (m) has been fulfilled; (m) any meeting may, with the consent of a majority of the #[members] present be adjourned from time to time, but no business shall be transacted and, except as is hereinafter provided, no proposition shall be discussed at any adjourned meeting other than the business and propositions remaining undisposed of at the meeting from which the adjourned meeting took place: Provided that at any adjourned meeting at which a budget estimate is under consideration a proposition involving any change such as is described in clause (1) may be made and discussed, notwithstanding that such proposition is not one remaining undisposed of at the meeting from which the adjournment took place, if each of the following conditions has been fulfilled, namely— (i) that written notice of such proposition has been given at the meeting from which the adjournment took place; (ii) that the adjournment has been for not less than two clear days; and (iii) that a special announcement of the proposition has been given by the Municipal Secretary who shall be bound to give such announcement 156[in the manner practicable] not later than the day previous to the adjourned meeting; (n) a minute of the proceedings at every meeting and 157[showing the names of the members present thereat shall be] drawn up and fairly entered by the Municipal Secretary in a book to be provided for this purpose and shall be signed at, by the presiding authority, 157[after completion of the meeting]; and the said minute book shall at all reasonable times be open at the Chief municipal office to inspection by any #[member] free of charge, and by any other person on payment of a fee of eight annas; (o) a #[member] shall not vote or take part in the discussion of any matter before a meeting or ask any question concerning any matter in which he is, directly or indirectly, by himself or by his partner, professionally interested on behalf of a client, principal or other person; (p) every question other than the question whether the Standing Committee or the Commisssioner shall be permited to bring urgent business before a meeting without notice, shall be decided by a majority of votes of the #[members] present and voting on that question, the presiding authority having a casting vote when there is an equality of votes; (q) a declaration by the presiding authority that a proposition has been carried and an entry to that effect in the minute book shall, unless a poll be demanded at the time of such declaration by any #[member], be conclusive evidence of the fact, without proof of the number of votes given for or against the proposition; (r) when a poll is taken, the vote of each #[member] present and voting upon the proposition shall be taken by tellers appointed by the presiding authority and the names of the #[members] voting respectively for or against the proposition shall be recorded in the minute-book; (s) the Commissioner shall have the same right of being present at a meeting of the Corporation and of taking part in the discussions thereat as a #[member] and with the consent of the presiding authority may at any time make a statement or explanation of facts, but he shall not vote upon, or make any proposition at such meetings; (t) the Corporation may require any officer of the Corporation to attend any meeting or meetings of the Corporation at which any matter dealt with by such officer in the course of his duties is being discussed. When any officer is thus required to attend any such meeting, he may be called upon to make a statement or explanation of facts or supply such information in his possession relating to any matter dealt with by him as the Corporation may require.