GHMC presents a rosy picture on city's development

Hyderabad, Nov 3 (INN): Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Commissioner MT Krishna Babu on Thursday informed that various developmental activities were in progress at a cost of Rs 2,400 crore.

Speaking at the corporation's sixth general body meeting, the GHMC Commissioner said that the projects which are in progress include works pertaining to health and sanitation, roads, garbage, storm water drains and street lights.

He said despite limited resources, the GHMC has been taking up several developmental works in the city and surrounding municipalities in its limits.

As against the revenues of Rs 1130 crore, the GHMC expenditure has touched Rs 1145 crore, Krishna Babu said. However, the GHMC's finances could improve from next fiscal as the government has agreed provide Rs 200-300 Crore of Profession Tax, nearly Rs 600 Crore of Motor Vehicle Tax and about Rs 400 Crore of Entertainment Tax.

The GHMC commissioner informed that Rs 100 crore would be spent on roads widening while another Rs 65 crore is being on re-carpeting of damaged roads.

Further, there is a proposal to take up the modernisation of nalas spread across 625 kilometres at an estimated cost of Rs 6246 Crore. He said the actual cost of the project, to be taken up in two phases, could escalate to Rs 10,000 Crore.

The GHMC would have to demolish or modify nearly 1300 structures for the project. A technical committee has already been formed to study the project.

Krishna Babu also informed that the construction of Railway Over Bridge at Lakdi-ka-Pul would be taken up soon. He said the work has been delayed due to the general strike.

He asked the GHMC council to empower the Standing Committee for additional sanctioning of Rs 50 lakh which would avoid delays in execution of several works.

The GHMC Commissioner said that the corporation could demolish all the illegal structures if all corporators support the drive. He admitted that several illegal structures have come up in the city due to the negligence or corruption of GHMC officials.

However, he said efforts were on to contain corruption by introducing Green Channel system. He also proposed that instead of going for demolition, the GHMC could levy heavy fines.

The GHMC would be spending nearly Rs 4700 crore to provide drinking water, drainage and other infrastructure in the surrounding municipalities. Krishna Babu said that 180 MGD of Godavari waters and 90 MGD from Krishna Phase III would be provided at a cost of Rs 3,370 Crore.

However, the surrounding municipalities need 480 MGD of water. He said the State Government has released Rs 1600 crore for Krishna Phase III and Rs 400 crore for the construction of sewerage lines.

The corporators complained that the officials were defying their instructions and were also giving misleading information. Reacting to the complaint, GHMC Mayor Banda Karthika Chandra Reddy issued a ruling that stern action would be taken against the erring officials.

The corporators raised several issues, especially related to public health, town planning, sanitation, property tax and street lights. Deputy Mayor Jaffer Hussain Meraj, floor leaders K Venkatesh (Congress), Mohd Nazeeruddin (MIM), Singireddy Srinivas Reddy (TDP) and Bangari Prakash (BJP) slammed the GHMC officials for deficiencies in their services.

MIM corporators Mirza Mustafa Ali Baig, Mohd Wajahat Ali Khan and Samad Bin Abdat, Congress corporators S Dhanpal, D Rambabu, Harivardhan Reddy and G Surekha and TDP corporators K Rama Rao, G Chinna Reddy, Pushpa Goud and Hema Latha also spoke.

The GHMC also paid tributes to KPHB TDP corporator DV Shobanadri by observing two minutes silence. Later, his widow DV Samarajamma who was elected from the same division in by-elections, was administered oath as corporator.