Keeping polls in mind, TRS government announces sops for Hyderabad

Telangana Rashtra Samithi President K Chandrasekhar Rao

Hyderabad: The TRS government in Telangana on Saturday announced a series of sops to woo voters in view of ensuing elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).

The government waived all water dues pending since 1989 and reduced property tax for over three lakh families.

Announcing the decisions after a nearly 11-hour-long meeting of the state cabinet, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao told reporters on Saturday night that drinking water dues of about Rs.300 crore will be waived.

Households paying property tax of Rs.1,500 per annum will now have to pay only Rs.101. This will benefit 3.1 lakh families.

Construction of two dedicated reservoirs to meet drinking water needs of Hyderabad, setting up of a medical college in Mahabubnagar district, regularisation of all contract employees by January-end, payment of pollution allowance to traffic policemen and hike in wages of outsourcing employees were the other major decisions taken by the cabinet.

The cabinet also approved filling vacancies of 15,628 teachers. It decided that 60 residential schools for minorities including 30 for girls will be set up and they will start functioning from new academic year. It also sanctioned 70 posts for the minority welfare department.

In GHMC limits, the cost of each housing unit under the two-bedroom housing scheme for the poor has been increased from Rs.5.3 lakh to Rs.7 lakh.

KCR said this was done as lifts have to be installed in the multi-storeyed buildings to be built under the scheme.

The TRS chief was confident that the ruling party will sweep the GHMC elections, scheduled to be held before January-end.

The chief minister said the state's revenues in all sectors had gone up by 15 percent.

Terming it a good sign, he said the size of the budget would be enhanced accordingly.

The finance ministry will inform all departments by Monday about their increased allocation. The government also decided to prepare development cards for all districts, setting the department-wise goals for each district.

KCR said this first of its kind exercise in the country would help in ensuring transparency and effective implementation of various plans.