The Hindu         09.03.2011

TDP demands grants for GHMC

The Telugu Desam has urged the State government to either allocate all the grants and finances due to the GHMC or take over the responsibility of payment of salaries to the staff.

In a communication to Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, TDP floor leader Singireddy Srinivasa Reddy pointed out that the yearly expenditure towards salaries and pensions was to the tune of Rs. 248 crore, but the government was denying even the mandated grants to the municipal corporation.

“About Rs. 230 crore of profession tax is not being reimbursed, only Rs. 20 crore is being paid as against the demand for Rs.170 crore for property tax on State government buildings and not a single pie was coming from the road maintenance grants,” he alleged.

Property tax from Central government properties too is a meagre Rs. 20 crore in the form of service tax.

Singireddy Srinivasa Reddy observed that there would have been no need for the GHMC to resort to any hike in property tax for residential or commercial properties if the requisite grants were provided for.