Hyderabad: Without developing the existing community halls, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has gone ahead and sanctioned four more multipurpose community halls in the Twin Cities.
Meanwhile, the existing community halls are either encroached, used as Aadhaar or polling centers, or rented out by the Resident Welfare Associations for various occasions. Some are also being used as party offices.
Most of the community halls are under the control of the Resident Welfare Associations. Since the GHMC zonal officers do not maintain them, around 80 per cent of the expense are met by the association. In many areas, three-four colonies share one community hall and an organised Resident Welfare Association maintain the halls. However, at places like Sanath Nagar, these halls are used for party meetings.
It has also been alleged that a few Resident Welfare Associations are renting out community halls of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation for various occasions and there are no records of the money collected, which is meant to be spent on maintenance of the halls.
Mr Shanth Arvind, resident of Mehdipatnam, said, “At the Mehdipatnam community hall, private parties have constructed a kitchen and it is used for various functions, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has not inspected the site yet.”
Meanwhile, the residents of Arul Colony have no access to the seized community hall, since the GHMC has not handed it over to the residents despite a High Court order.
Mr Suresh Anthony, president of Arul Colony Association, said that the GHMC was asked by the High Court to return the community hall but the corporation had filed a writ appeal to review the orders passed by a single divisional bench.
“They have alleged that the community hall was being misused for religious purposes. However, we have explained that the hall has been given to private parties adhering to all terms and conditions, its been years since the colony has no community hall,” he said.
