TDP, Congress regimes neglected Asli Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Feb 4 (INN): TRS senior leader Rashid Shareef has ridiculed the claims being made by both the TDP and Congress leaders on the development of Hyderabad.

"The Old City, or the real Hyderabad, failed to witness any development during the regimes of either TDP or the Congress parties. While in power, both the parties behaved as if south of Hyderabad was inhabited by aliens," Rashid Shareef said in a media statement here on Wednesday. Supporting the statement made by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao during party's extended session at Kompally on Tuesday, he said that the TDP and Congress Government took no interest in developing Hyderabad. While the main city lacked basic amenities, the residents of Old City were forced to live in inhuman conditions, he said.

Citing an instance, he said that the State Government had constituted the Quli Qutub Shah Urban Development Authority in 1981 for the overall development of Old City of Hyderabad. However, both the TDP and Congress did not allocate sufficient funds for the QQSUDA. At the time of formation, the QQSUDA was allocated Rs 25 lakh to carry out developmental activities. With a nominal increase every year, the allocations increased to Rs 4.75 crore in 1991-92, Rs 7.25 crore in 2001-02 and Rs 15.25 crore in 2012-13. "In the last 33 years of its formation, the QQSUDA was allocated a cumulative amount of mere Rs 383.31 crore or an average of Rs 11.62 Crore per year," he said.

"By giving funds of just Rs 11.62 crore per year, both the TDP and Congress expected the QQSUDA to take up "overall development" of areas under its jurisdiction which has been defined as, "Areas of North and South of the River Musi of Old City covered by Nampally, Charminar, Chandrayangutta, Karwan, Goshamahal, Bahadurpura, Yakutpura, Malakpet and part of Rajendranagar, Maheshwaram, LB Nagar and Jubilee Hills of the present Assembly constituencies," said Rashid Shareef.

The TRS leader said that the Chief Minister himself is the chairman of QQSUDA. However, in the last three decades only five meetings were conducted under the Chairmanship of the Chief Minister. While two meetings were held in 1981, one meeting each was held in 1982, 1984 and 2011. He said that mere budgetary allocations done for the QQSUDA was a proof that the previous regimes were not interested in the development of Old City of Hyderabad.

Rashid Shareef informed that the TRS leaders would be submitting a status report to the Chief Minister on the conditions in the Old City and would seek his special attention to bring development in "Asli Hyderabad". Stating that only TRS Government can bring development in the Old City, he hoped that the Chief Minister, in his proposed visit to the Old City soon, would announce a special package.