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GHMC neglecting Old City of Hyderabad: Congress city chief | Hyderabad News
HYDERABAD: Congress‘s Hyderabad unit president Sameer Waliullah has alleged that the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is neglecting the Old City in sanctioning developmental works.
“GHMC Standing Committee, in its last meeting held on January 4 approved nine proposals. However, not a single proposal was for the South Zone (Old City). Of 150 wards, as many as 43 wards are in the Old City of Hyderabad. The South Zone/Charminar Zone is not being given its due share in the GHMC budget,” Sameer Waliullah alleged.
A major portion of the GHMC budget was being spent on the municipal wards in Hyderabad’s outskirts while neglecting the Old City of Hyderabad. The GHMC did not take up any new major project in the old city in the last 5 years. The works on the widening of some roads in the Old City have been delayed for more than four years. This discriminatory attitude towards the Old City is highly intolerable,” he said.
“An impression has been created that the residents of Old City do not pay taxes or contribute to the corporation’s revenue. These perceptions have been created to justify the neglect of the Old City. It may be true that Charminar Zone gets the least collection in terms of Property Tax. But thousands of shops located in the Old City make a huge contribution through GST and other taxes,” he said.
In the Early Bird scheme, the GHMC collected Rs 741 crore as Property Tax in April 2022. The least contribution of Rs 69 crore was from the Charminar zone. It was alleged that although the Old City area was densely populated, it has many unregistered properties and therefore, its contribution to Property Tax was the least. Consequently, the GHMC stopped sanctioning new projects for the Old City. This approach is not acceptable. The GHMC should focus more on areas with less income as they need better infrastructure for growth, Sameer Waliullah demanded.
“GHMC Standing Committee, in its last meeting held on January 4 approved nine proposals. However, not a single proposal was for the South Zone (Old City). Of 150 wards, as many as 43 wards are in the Old City of Hyderabad. The South Zone/Charminar Zone is not being given its due share in the GHMC budget,” Sameer Waliullah alleged.
A major portion of the GHMC budget was being spent on the municipal wards in Hyderabad’s outskirts while neglecting the Old City of Hyderabad. The GHMC did not take up any new major project in the old city in the last 5 years. The works on the widening of some roads in the Old City have been delayed for more than four years. This discriminatory attitude towards the Old City is highly intolerable,” he said.
“An impression has been created that the residents of Old City do not pay taxes or contribute to the corporation’s revenue. These perceptions have been created to justify the neglect of the Old City. It may be true that Charminar Zone gets the least collection in terms of Property Tax. But thousands of shops located in the Old City make a huge contribution through GST and other taxes,” he said.
In the Early Bird scheme, the GHMC collected Rs 741 crore as Property Tax in April 2022. The least contribution of Rs 69 crore was from the Charminar zone. It was alleged that although the Old City area was densely populated, it has many unregistered properties and therefore, its contribution to Property Tax was the least. Consequently, the GHMC stopped sanctioning new projects for the Old City. This approach is not acceptable. The GHMC should focus more on areas with less income as they need better infrastructure for growth, Sameer Waliullah demanded.
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