TDP GHMC floor leader Singireddy Srinivas Reddy implicated that there was a huge difference between the funds sanctioned and the real money that has been spent for different works in the city.
The Telugu Desam Party alleged that the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation was proving to be another Satyam, where inflated figures are being used to present a rosy picture while irregularities are being covered up.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, TDP GHMC floor leader Singireddy Srinivas Reddy said that the corporation was furnishing inflated figures with regard to developmental activities within its limits. He implicated that there was a huge difference between the funds sanctioned and the real money that has been spent for different works in the city.
Disclosing the details, the TDP leader asserted that this year, the GHMC has sanctioned works worth Rs. 2,046 crores against its annual budget of Rs. 3,600 crores. However, he said the actual capital available with the corporation is just Rs. 2,283 crores. Despite this, the GHMC has spent a mere Rs. 147 crores for various developmental activities in the last nine months.
An amount of Rs. 56 crores was sanctioned for streetlights. However, only Rs. 4 crores has been spent so far. As against the sanctioned amount of Rs. 100 crores for storm water drains, he claimed that only Rs. 28 crores was put to use. The lack of proper drains has been causing damage to the roads at Fever Hospital, NIMS Hospital, Maitrivanam, Ameerpet and Banjara Hills. Similarly, Rs. 486 crores was sanctioned for the construction and repair of roads. But the corporation has spent just Rs. 45 crores, accused Singireddy.
Giving zone-wise details, Srinivas Reddy said that, against the capital of Rs. 53 crores for Central Zone, works worth Rs. 143 crores were sanctioned, but only Rs. 11 crores has been spent so far. Work worth Rs. 100 crores was sanctioned in the East Zone which had a capital of Rs. 52 crores. But only Rs. 8 crores worth work has been completed in the zone.
Similarly, in the South Zone work amounting to Rs. 200 crores has been sanctioned. Whereas, the capital for the zone is just Rs. 59 crores and so far, the GHMC has spent only Rs. 14 crores. Likewise, works worth only Rs. 8.3 crores were completed in the West Zone as against the sanctioned amount of Rs. 138 crores and a capital of Rs. 58 crores. While the North Zone had a capital of Rs. 52 crores, the GHMC has sanctioned works worth Rs. 113 crores and executed projects worth just Rs. 11 crores.
The TDP leader declared that these statistics clearly show that the corporation was trying to mislead the people and government by inflating the figure. He alleged that there were no funds available within the corporation and that it was trying to raise the same by increasing taxes. He sought to know why the GHMC had sanctioned works worth several hundred crores, despite knowing the fact that it had no funds to execute them.
Srinivas Reddy alleged that the GHMC was acting like a private organisation and not like a government body. He also demanded that the corporation disclose details of how the JNNURM funds were utilised by the corporation.
The TDP floor leader intimated that the GHMC had created a hype around the global biodiversity conference by stating that the Centre and state governments would be releasing funds for the event. However, he said that the government has so far released just Rs. 156 crores for COP-11 related works.
Describing the GHMC as the second Satyam, he demanded a high-level enquiry into the utilisation of funds and the reasons for non-implementation of sanctioned projects. He also alleged that the corporation was not executing works as some contractors have refused to pay kickbacks.
Srinivas Reddy said that the state government promised an amount of Rs. 5,000 crores when the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad was made Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. However, he alleged that the government was yet to release those funds to the GHMC. (INN)