HMRL tops in budgetary allocation for city departments
The highest allocation has been made to Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) at Rs 2,377.35 crore
Hyderabad: Departments that cater to the city’s infrastructural needs have received a decent share in the budgetary allocations for 2022-23.
The municipal administration and urban development department has been allocated Rs 10,903.66 crore in the state Budget that was presented by finance minister T. Harish Rao on Monday.
The highest allocation has been made to Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) at Rs 2,377.35 crore. It is followed by HMWS&SB Rs 1,925 crore; Musi Riverfront Development Corporation Limited (MRDCL) Rs 200 crore; while it is Rs 200.10 crore for HMDA, Rs 11.45 Quli Qutub Shah Urban Development Authority (QQUDA) and Rs 150 crore for Hyderabad Urban Agglomeration (HUA).
Apart from that, the MA & UD department has set aside Rs 350 crore for Yadagirigutta Temple Development Authority and Rs 50 crore for Vemulawada temple Area Development Authority (VTADA).
All city departments depend on the state government even for the monthly salaries. Except for the HMRL, no other department is self-sustainable.
GHMC will receive Rs 7.83 crore towards salaries, Rs 10 crore as property tax on government buildings, Rs 60.43 crore towards professional tax compensation and Rs 10 lakh compensation.
The GHMC had sought Rs 1,500 crore but the allocations announced on Monday will push it into a deep financial crisis, considering the bills that have to be paid for major infrastructure projects, including Strategic Road Development Programme (SRDP), Comprehensive Road Maintenance Project (CRMP), and Strategic Nala Development Plan (SNDP), among others.
The SRDP has built Rs 1,900 crore worth skyways and underpasses from funds raised through bank loans. Banks have made it clear that they would not release the remaining Rs 600 crore until GHMC spends the assured 42 per cent from its kitty. With about Rs 1,800 crore projects in the pipeline, the corporation will be heavily dependent on the state government allocations even for its salaries.
To augment the drinking water facilities of Hyderabad, the Sunkisala intake project on Krishna waters is being taken up with an outlay of Rs 1,450 crore. A provision of Rs 725 crore is proposed in the Budget for the same. A compensation of Rs 300 crore will be given for meeting the 20KL free drinking water scheme.
The minister said that the government is spending Rs 1,200 crore for providing drinking water to all habitations within ORR.
The finance minister said that to treat sewage generated in the city Rs 3,866 crore is being earmarked. Although Hyderabad is the first city in south India where energy is being produced from waste, no provision has been made in the state Budget towards that.
To the disappointment of HMDA, there was Rs 10 lakh proposed allocation for its development. However, the government allotted Rs 200 crore for five packages on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) under Build Operate Transfer (BOT) as Rs 332.85 crore have to be released to the concessionaires every year.
As for HMRL Rs 500 crore has been proposed in order to connect the last 5.5 km of the MGBS-Falaknuma in the green line corridor apart from Rs 377.35 for airport Metro connectivity and Rs 1,500 crore to HMRL.