Congress Slams GHMC Budget 2012-13

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation is likely to start another phase of the Building Regularisation Scheme soon.

This was announced by GHMC Commissioner M T Krishna Babu, as he addressed the GHMC's General Special Council in Hyderabad, on Thursday.

He said the corporation was in receipt of over 6,000 petitions seeking the regularisation of buildings. Therefore, the GHMC is expecting to receive a huge revenue through the BRS scheme, he said.

The GHMC Commissioner said that the property tax target of Rs. 720 crore would be realised without affecting an increase in the tax.

However, surprisingly, the Congress played the role of the Opposition in the Council on Thursday.

Deputy Mayor G Rajkumar said that the budget of Rs. 3,600 crore presented by GHMC Mayor Mohammad Majid Hussain was unrealistic.

Congress floor leader K Venkatesh opined that GHMC officials were more interested in collecting bribes in the guise of property tax than on providing basic amenities to people. Venkatesh alleged that of the nearly 5,000 hoardings in the GHMC's limits, Advertisement Tax was being collected only from 2,000 hoardings.

Reacting to these allegations, MIM's Hussaini Alam corporator Mir Zulfeqar Ali reminded Venkatesh that the latter was not in the Opposition, and that he was an ally of the MIM.

Telugu Desam Party floor leader Singireddy Srinivas Reddy accused the GHMC officials of harassing citizens in the name of property tax.

He said that the budget for the year 2011-12 was of Rs. 3,200 crore, and that it could not be realised. He ridiculed the budget of Rs. 3,600 crore for the year 2012-13.

MIM floor leader Mohammad Nazreeuddin appreciated the budget, and hoped that areas under the GHMC areas would witness development in the next one year. BJP's Bangari Prakash, too, criticised the budget.

MBT corporator Amjadullah Khan Khaled was removed from the Council hall, with marshals, for trying to stall the proceedings. The Mayor did not allow him to speak during the presentation of the budget.

After the budget was passed, TDP corporators staged a dharna in front of the Mayor's chambers, demanding an increase in funds from Rs. 45 crore to Rs. 100 crore for drinking water for the surrounding municipalities. (INN)