Opposition looks down on tallest tower plans
Even small civic works are not being taken up despite availability of funds
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-11-27 03:05 GMT
Hyderabad: Opposition legislators on Wednesday criticised the government for claiming to make Hyderabad a world-class city and constructing the world’s tallest building when even small civic works were not being taken up despite availability of funds.
Opposition leaders also questioned the rationale behind dewatering the Hussainsagar into the Musi through Nalgonda district, which was already tormented by excessive fluoride problem.
Speaking during the discussion for demands on Wednesday, TD’s Quthbullapur MLA K.P. Vivekanand said that many small works out of a total of 10,694 works in GHMC limits, worth about Rs 789 crore, were stalled due to various reasons.
He said, “Road-related works worth Rs 405 crore have to be completed in the city, but so far, works worth only Rs 53 crore have been completed. Others are stalled or are going on endlessly. Many other projects like road widening, construction of stadiums, fish markets etc. are pending. Funds are there, but the works have stopped.”
He further added, “Four fish markets worth Rs 15 crore were sanctioned, but only one has been completed.” He said this was despite the ready availability of requisite funds with the GHMC.
Mr Vivekanand also sought to know the government’s policy on illegal constructions within the city limits.
BJP Khairatabad legislator Chintala Ramachandra Reddy questioned the rationale behind dewatering the Hussainsagar. “Is it even possible for the government to divert polluted water away from the Hussainsagar? Where will the water go? If the polluted water is let into the Musi, it will have to pass through Nalgonda district. People in that district are already suffering from fluoride problem,” he said.
Mr Ramachandra Reddy also questioned where the polluted soil from the lakebed would be dumped. “You said you would construct the tallest building in Sanjeevaiah Park. But isn’t the park itself in the Full Tank Level of the lake? How will you build a 121-floor building in the FTL?” He also urged the government to make sure that the GHMC received its rightful share of the professional and entertainment tax from the Commercial Taxes department.
He said while the GHMC should be receiving Rs 500 crore on average per year from professional taxes, it had only received Rs 100 crore last year, and Rs 50 crore in the two previous years.