Hyderabad: Everything comes at a premium price in Cyberabad. Right from drivers to maids and from plumbers to electricians, they charge exorbitant rates in Hitec City and surrounding areas mainly inhabited by techies.
Perhaps, the techies are being made to pay for the tag and status that the IT corridor of the city, that covers a large area in Cyberabad, carries. A majority of the techies said they are willing to pay that extra money for the “status” of being residents of the IT corridor, but pointed out that the government has failed to provide civic, transport and environmental infrastructure.
The going rate for a maid is Rs 5,000 per month, depending upon the flat, villa and negotiation skills of the owner. Good drivers are hard to find and ask for Rs 14,000 to Rs 18,000 per month.
“Recently, there was some starting trouble with my car. I stopped at a mechanic’s shop on my way to office and showed it to him. In less than five minutes, he completed the work and demanded Rs 1,200 from me. When he saw me looking visibly shocked, he said, ‘Sir, this is Hitec City and everything comes at a premium’,” said Ailneni G. Rao, a resident of Kondapur.
“Except the premium prices, there is nothing in terms of infrastructure facilities that we can boast of. Drinking water and underground drainage facilities are not there. Paying premium prices for commodities and services would make sense provided all these infrastructural facilities are in place,” said N.V. Ratnam Choudary, president of My Home Navadweepa, a gated community, and My Home Jewel which has over 2,000 villas and flats. Mr Choudary also suggested that the police should start allowing push-cart vendors.
Currently, the cops do not allow vegetable push carts on main roads in Hitec City areas.
Cyberabad police commissioner C.V. Anand said push carts are not allowed on Cyberabad main roads. “If a majority of colonies represent that they want push cart vendors, we will search for open spaces near colonies where they can be allowed at allotted times and on specific days,” he said.
