The government has failed to fund civic agencies adequately, leaving contractors unpaid and development works stalled: Union minister G. Kishan Reddy
HYDERABAD: Union minister G. Kishan Reddy attacked the Congress government for what he described as widespread civic neglect and governance failure in Hyderabad, calling the city’s condition deplorable. At a press conference at the BJP state office, Kishan Reddy said Hyderabad, once known for its well-lit streets, now lacks streetlights even on major roads. Despite protests by BJP corporators and government assurances to install 50 lights per municipal division, not a single one has been added, he claimed.
He alleged that development efforts are restricted to elite zones like Hitec City, Madhapur and Kondapur, while middle- and lower-income neighbourhoods remain neglected. Roads, drainage, drinking water supply, park upkeep and flood pipeline cleaning have all been ignored, leading to what he termed an “urban crisis.”
Kishan Reddy criticised GHMC council meetings as hollow exercises where BJP corporators are not allowed to voice public grievances. He said the government has failed to fund civic agencies adequately, leaving contractors unpaid and development works stalled. Even upscale areas like Jubilee Hills, he noted, have seen knee-deep flooding during rains. He accused Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who also holds the municipal administration portfolio, of inaction.
The minister further alleged that Congress ministers indulge in empty rhetoric while failing to solve people’s problems, and condemned the arrests and house arrests of BJP leaders, including state BJP president N. Ramchander Rao, during peaceful protests against civic neglect.
Kishan Reddy said employees and teachers face delayed payments, unfulfilled promises on allowances, pending Pay Revision Commissions, and pension problems. On agriculture, he accused the government of ignoring diversion of subsidised fertilisers to the black market.
He also pointed to the government’s disregard for court orders in fatal live-wire accident cases, GHMC’s bankruptcy that has deepened the streetlight crisis, and a rising street-dog menace that endangers residents. Reaffirming BJP’s commitment to Hyderabad’s development, he invoked the sacrifice of journalist Shoebullah Khan, who opposed the Nizam’s regime, as an example of Hyderabad’s democratic spirit.
