KTR says the government will be developing way side amenities on the ORR

Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development KT Rama Rao has said that the government will be developing way side amenities at 19 inter-changes on the 160 kilometer long Outer Ring Road (ORR) encircling Hyderabad to provide some leisure to the people who drive on the long stretch. The amenities include food courts, rest rooms and other facilities. Speaking at the Question Hour in the Legislative Council here on Wednesday, the Minister said that all the cities in the State will have 18,000 public toilets by October 2, this year.

Answering questions raised by Majlis MLCs Syed Aminul Hasan Jafri and Mirza Riyazul Hassan Effendi and TRS MLC D Rajeshwar Rao about lack of release of funds to GHMC, HMWS & SB, HMDA and QQSUDA, the Minister said that the government has so far spent Rs 69,000 crore (capital expenditure) on the development of the City from 2014 till date to transform it as a world class city and if the revenue expenditure is added the amount could as well cross the one lakh crore



mark.

Explaining further the Minister said that the budgetary allocation to GHMC during the past six years was Rs 7,700 crore and non budgetary allocation through programmes such as Strategic Road Development Programme (SRDP) will be another Rs 1800 crore. The Minister clarified that the State government has been releasing funds to the civic bodies not only in Hyderabad but also in other cities of the State in a timely manner. “Since February this year when the “Pattana Pragathi” programme was launched the government has been releasing Rs 78 crore to GHMC every month without fail,” he added.

While assuring members about the transfer of share of taxes such as entertainment tax to the GHMC , the Minister said that he will look into the issue but reminded the members that the State government has not increased property taxes or any other tax in the GHMC area in the past six years. “In fact property tax was reduced by Rs 101,” he added.