The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : BJP picks holes in MCH budget

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 12, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

BJP picks holes in MCH budget

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, JAN.11. The city unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has criticised the budget estimates of the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad for the year 2005-06 alleging that it was done in a `hurry' and more tuned to find favour with the ruling Congress and the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's `Rajiv Nagarabata'.

The party felt that corporation's proposal to take up several social welfare and infrastructure projects on its own steam would cause financial burden when the need was to make efforts to get funds from the Central Government under the Mega City project and the State Government to give sufficient grants. The city unit president, Venkataramani, said here on Tuesday that it was not clear in the budget estimates if the Government would provide for the Rs. 50 crores it had earlier cut in the State budget.

"How does the corporation propose to get this money," he asked and pointed out that if the amount were not granted, this along with the funds sanctioned for the flyover would mean the budget would be in deficit in actual terms.

The BJP leader felt that the Rs. 78 crores sanctioned for slum improvement was too meagre to make the capital slum-free as there were 274 underdeveloped areas in the 100 divisions of the MCH requiring sewer lines, water lines, community halls, storm water drains, roads and the likes.

He pointed that earlier funds for slum development were obtained from several sources like overseas development assistance and grants from the State and Central Governments.

Sourcing for funds

The same argument was put forth for the flyover project, which he said, could be taken up by sourcing for funds from both Governments and agencies like the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority.

Mr. Venkataramani felt that corporation should be wary of taking up the Charminar Pedestrianisation Project, as finally the Tourism Department would reap the benefit. He also said the budget did not indicate the action plan for modernising the markets under the corporation.

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