KT Rama Rao faces tough task of curbing graft in GHMC

Hyderabad: IT minister K.T. Rama Rao, who is all set to assume charge as the minister for municipal administration in a day or two, faces the onerous task of checking corruption in municipalities.

The portfolio is being held now by Chief Minister K. Chadrasekhar Rao since 20 months. Last week he announced that he will hand over the portfolio to his son after the GHMC elections.

The audit ordered by the Chief Minister revealed large scale financial irregularities and corruption in all the 16 municipalities across the state. Crores collected from people as taxes in these municipalities were siphoned-off by officials but the government is yet to initiate action or recover the amount from the staff.

The CM had himself admitted large scale corruption in GHMC and other municipalities openly during the TRS public meeting at Parade Grounds, Secunderabad last week. He said he would hand over municipal administration department to his son who had seen for himself the   problems being faced by people during the GHMC poll campaign to get approvals from municipal department due to large scale corruption.

The CM hoped that Mr Rama Rao would reform the department and make  GHMC and other municipalities corruption-free. “The municipal administration department is yet to be handed over to me. It may take two-three days. Once I assume office, my top priority will be to make all municipal corporations and municipalities people-friendly and  check corruption. Since, I am also the IT minister, I want to use information technology to achieve these goals,” Mr Rama Rao said.

The audit revealed heavy corruption and large scale irregularities in  the municipalities of Mahbubnagar, Wanaparthy, Suryapet, Bhongir,  Kamareddy, Armoor, Siricilla, Jagitial, Sathupally, Khammam, Madhira, Tandur, Mancherial, Bhainsa, Nirmal and Sangareddy. In Nalgonda alone, Rs 3.32 crore collected from people as taxes was found siphoned off by staff.