TDP sees motive behind Mayor's special drive

Hyderabad, March 25 (INN): Telugu Desam Party Floor Leader in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Singireddy Srinivas Reddy on Friday alleged that Mayor Banda Karthika Reddy was focussing only on unauthorised constructions for personal gains, despite being well aware that the Corporation was short-staffed.

Talking to media persons in his chambers at the GHMC head office, Mr Srinivas Reddy reminded that the Mayor had on Thursday directed the Town Planning wing with Additional Commissioner (Regulatory Planning) GHMC and CCP along with ACPs of 18 Circles to act tough against unauthorised constructions and had warned that their performance would be linked to their salaries.

The TDP leader stated that the Mayor was conveniently neglecting development of the city on all other fronts but was only focussed on the illegal constructions since this was a 'money-spinner' for her. Mr Srinivas Reddy demanded to know why the Mayor has directed the officials to obtain the phone numbers of all the people who are constructing buildings illegally and their addresses. He wondered why the Mayor needed these phone numbers and cast doubt whether any 'behind-the-scene' deals would be struck.

The TDP leader said this warning would essentially mean that the GHMC staff would have to focus only on the unauthorised constructions rather than the collection of property tax. Pointing out that the GHMC faced a severe shortage of staff, with about only 249 bill collectors appointed to cover about 12 lakh assesses, at least one bill collector should be appointed for 3000 assesses each, Mr Srinivas Reddy stated. Likewise, the GHMC needs at least 127 tax inspectors, but only 60 have been appointed, the TDP leader pointed out.

Apart from this, the town planning department needed 50 Assistant City Planners, but the depart has to function with only 12 ACPs at present, he stated. Apart from this, 57 of the 103 TPS required, 32 of the required 158 are functioning. Only two TPOs of the requirement of 50 are functioning, while the same can be said of the draught-men and surveyors.

The TDP leader said that the posts of Junior Engineers are lying vacant too, and the GHMC is not doing anything to fill up all the vacant posts. This is the situation despite the Congress ruling at the Centre, the state and has a majority in the Standing Committee, Mr Srinivas Reddy pointed out. Instead of taking up development works which have taken a back seat due to the pen-down strike and then the election code, and improve the functioning of the GHMC itself, the Mayor is only concerned about the illegal constructions taking place in the city limits, the TDP leader charged.

Ms Karthika Reddy had on Thursday said that the GHMC would act firmly on the deviations and illegal constructions in the city and demolitions will be taken up very shortly. She had further said that it is the duty of the field staff to report the illegal constructions to the higher officials but was not happening.