BRS Leader Criticizes Government for Ignoring Hyderabad Development
Hyderabad: BRS whip KP Vivekananda has accused the government of neglecting Hyderabad under the pretext of developing the “Fourth City” and “Future City.” He claimed that the government was not releasing funds in proportion to the allocated budget. Speaking during the budget discussions in the Assembly, he criticized the government for failing to provide the necessary funds for the city’s development.
Vivekananda reminded the Assembly that the Congress had earlier promised to allocate ₹10,000 crore annually for Hyderabad. However, he pointed out that while ₹2,654 crore was allocated to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), only ₹1,200 crore was actually released. Similarly, ₹2,500 crore was allocated to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), but not a single rupee was disbursed, he alleged.
He further stated that although ₹3,385 crore was allocated to the Water Board, ₹800 crore was directed toward loan repayments instead of development. He also criticized the government’s decision to cancel the Raidurgam-Airport Metro route. While ₹1,100 crore was allocated for the Metro, only ₹300 crore was released. Likewise, out of the ₹1,500 crore allocated for the Musi River project, only ₹80 crore was given, he added.
Vivekananda pointed out that GHMC had requested a budget of ₹7,582 crore, but the government allocated only ₹3,100 crore. He claimed that the government’s lack of commitment to the city’s development was evident from the fact that only 25% of the allocated funds were released last year. He demanded that sanitation workers’ salaries be increased to ₹18,000 as promised during the elections.
He praised the previous KCR-led government for increasing sanitation workers’ salaries from ₹7,000 to ₹12,000. However, he reminded the Assembly that during the 2023 election campaign, Congress had assured sanitation workers that their salaries would be raised to ₹18,000 upon forming the government. He urged the government to fulfill this promise immediately.
Vivekananda also highlighted inefficiencies in road sweeping operations. He claimed that although machine-based road sweeping was assigned to the Ramki company, the work was not being carried out properly. Instead, sanitation workers were manually sweeping the roads, but payments were still being made to the company.
Addressing the drinking water issue, he emphasized the government’s responsibility to ensure a proper water supply to maintain Hyderabad’s reputation. He questioned how the HMDA could undertake major projects like elevated corridors when its revenue sources were dwindling.
Finally, he criticized the government for prioritizing events like the Miss World Pageant over essential city development. He mocked the government’s ambition to host the Olympics, stating, “The government, which objected to spending ₹50 crore on Formula E, now wants to host the Olympics, which requires lakhs of crores.”
