The Deccan Chronicle 30.09.2010
Corporators hike own pay by 300%
Sept. 29: The standing committee of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation led by the mayor, Ms Kartika Reddy, on Wednesday unanimously approved a proposal to hike salaries of 148 corporators, deputy mayor and mayor by 300 per cent.
This will impose an additional financial burden of Rs1.47 crore per annum on the cash-starved corporation’s exchequer. This is second time in just three months that the standing committee had showered largesse on the corporators. It had earlier given them Internet-enabled laptops and printers causing a burden of `1 crore.
Interestingly, the GHMC recently approached banks to obtain a loan of `600 crore to complete various civic infrastructure projects. It was the same standing committee which approved the move to take the loan while rejecting a proposal to hike property tax to repay it.
The GHMC secretary, Mr M.S.S. Somaraju, said that the committee chaired by the mayor and comprising 15 corporators passed the salary hike proposal in the meeting on Wednesday. Presently, the corporators get a salary of Rs 4,000, the deputy mayor Rs8,000 and the mayor Rs14,000.
“Now, it has been hiked to Rs12,000 per month for corporators, Rs24,000 per month for deputy mayor and Rs42,000 per month for the mayor,” the GHMC secretary said. The resolution on salary hike would be sent to the state government for its final approval.
The hike approved by the standing committee takes the mayor’s salary to the level of junior IAS officer working as deputy collector or collector. Of course, the IAS officers get other allowances too.
Under pressure from TD corporators, who staged a dharna in front of the mayor's chambers, the standing committee also decided to ask officials to not to levy 200 per cent penalty on those violating building laws envisaged in G.O. 86.
