Citizens to bear burden of the Rs 1.25 lakh crore comprehensive transport plan 2041.
Picture for representational purpose only.
Hyderabad: The burden of the Rs 1.25 lakh crore comprehensive transport plan 2041 will have to borne by citizens, partially or considerably.
Every year, about Rs 6,000 crore will have to be mobilised to construct transport and traffic improvement projects in the core city, surrounding municipalities and also in the Hyderabad Metropolitan Area.
The Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority, headed by the Chief Secretary Dr P.K. Mohanty, has constituted a special task force team comprising principal secretaries from finance, municipal administration, IT and roads and buildings departments besides the chiefs of GHMC, HMDA and Water Board to examine and suggest various modules to raise revenues and mobilise money for execution of Rs 1.25 lakh crore worth different transport infrastructure projects.
Highly placed sources told DC that among various options discussed by the special task force team at its first meeting recently, levying impact fees on buildings coming up within a 500 meter to 2 km radius of Hyderabad Metro Rail corridors was actively considered and consultants have been told to work out the details and submit pros and cons of the proposal.
Another proposal discussed was levying an amount of cess, like 50 or 75 paisa, per litre of petrol only in HMA limits.
Several crores of litres of petrol and diesel are consumed in the city every day and huge financial resources could be raised this way towards the transport development fund, it was felt.
Other resource mobilisation possibilities discussed include levying entry tax on private vehicles in proposed central business districts, special parking policies and fees, additional development fees on construction of residential as well as commercial buildings etc.
When contacted, HMDA commissioner, Neerabh Kumar Prasad, who is also a member of the task force, confirmed that various funding options had been explored by the task force in its first meeting, including levying impact fees and cess on petrol.
“Major chunk of the estimated Rs 1.25 lakh crore would go towards projects such as Metro Rail, MMTS, inter city express train projects and highways. Projects that can be executed with central funds will be done so, likewise with those that can be implemented with state budget. Other options include public private partnership and levying transport development cess on buildings and petrol, to name a few,” he said.
( Source : dc )
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