Srinagar, October 12, KDC: Dr. Basharat Qayoom, IAS, on Monday assumed charge as Commissioner of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Srinagar Smart City Limited (SSCL), succeeding Faz Lul Haseeb, IAS.
A brief function was held at the SMC headquarters to welcome the newly appointed Commissioner and CEO. Senior officers and officials of SMC and SSCL welcomed Qayoom and assured him of their cooperation in strengthening civic services and improving municipal governance.
Addressing officers and officials, Qayoom emphasised a “Citizen First” approach, stressing that citizens must remain at the centre of the Corporation’s policies, programmes and service delivery mechanisms.
He underscored the need for accountable administration, effective interdepartmental coordination and timely redressal of public grievances to address the day-to-day civic concerns of residents.
Qayoom also called for strengthening grievance redressal mechanisms, improving essential municipal services and ensuring greater responsiveness to citizens’ complaints and feedback.
He stressed the importance of a coordinated and forward-looking approach to transforming Srinagar into a sustainable, clean and liveable city, with urban development translating into tangible improvements in residents’ quality of life.
With his administrative experience, Qayoom is expected to provide further impetus to ongoing urban development programmes, Smart City initiatives and efforts to improve the efficiency, accessibility and accountability of municipal services.
The key focus areas under his leadership will include strengthening civic infrastructure, improving sanitation and other essential municipal amenities, promoting sustainable urban planning, enhancing public participation and ensuring timely implementation of development projects.
Greater citizen engagement and responsive grievance redressal will also remain central to efforts to address public concerns and improve service delivery across Srinagar.
The overarching objective is to further strengthen citizen-friendly municipal administration and ensure that urban development translates into improved civic amenities, better public services and an enhanced quality of life for Srinagar residents. (KDC)
