Municipalities have turned into dens of corruption under the TRS regime: Uttam Kumar Reddy

Hyderabad: Congress MP & former TPCC President Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has accused the TRS Govt of neglecting the municipal administration across Telangana State, especially Hyderabad, by not releasing the required funds.

"Almost all areas of Hyderabad are witnessing water-logging and huge traffic jams after every drizzle. The TRS Govt has been promising a permanent solution to water-logging in every monsoon since 2014. But nothing has changed in the last eight years. This year too, the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad are facing the same problems due to the inundation of low-lying areas, and water-logging on several thoroughfares. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is unable to execute any major works due to the lack of funds. The situation is not different in other municipal corporations and municipalities where development has come to a standstill due to neglect of TRS Govt," he alleged.

Uttam Kumar Reddy was speaking to media persons after staging a dharna at Huzurnagar Municipality on Friday to protest against rising corruption and lack of development in the municipality.

"Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao had once promised to develop Hyderabad on the lines of Dallas. However, TRS Govt failed to even maintain what was developed during the previous Congress regime from 2004-2014. All activities of GHMC have come to a halt after contractors went on strike demanding that their dues of nearly Rs. 1,000 crores be cleared immediately. The proposed 100-day Action Plan launched by TRS Govt in 2016 failed to take off even after 1,000 days," he alleged.

The Congress MP pointed out that the TRS Govt did not spend funds earmarked for the second phase of the Strategic Nala Development Program. Citing the information procured through an RTI query, he said as against the budget of Rs. 209 Crore for the second phase of SNDP, only Rs. 16 crores (7.86%) have been spent so far. "CM KCR is spending huge money on making false claims of development. But his government is not spending money on solutions to the problem of flooding being faced by the people," he alleged.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the TRS leaders were creating a huge hype about 16 Urban Local Bodies bagging Swachh Survekshan Awards. But they are not talking about the remaining 130 ULCs where the condition of civic amenities has turned worse in the last eight years.

Speaking about the Huzurnagar Municipality, the Nalgonda MP said that Congress staged a dharna to protest against the rising corruption and lack of development. "General Body meetings of Huzunragar municipality are not being held regularly. The new Municipal Law has given some Emergency Powers to the District Collectors. However, the Suryapet District Collector is misusing those powers as 'routine' by not holding general body meetings. Several municipal lands are being grabbed by the TRS leaders in connivance with the local civic authorities," he alleged.

He said it is shocking that documents of municipal lands have been stolen by the TRS leaders and nobody in the government seems to be bothered despite several complaints lodged against the same. Things have reached a stage where the Municipal commissioner has given a written complaint to the police of his signature being forged, his computer hacked and false documents created to usurp properties of private persons. In the present TRS regime, there are no checks on anybody and unbridled corruption exists all over the State, he alleged.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Congress party would continue to protest against the deteriorating situation in civic conditions across Telangana State, especially Hyderabad.