13 villages to merge into GRMC

Rajamahendravaram: After the approval of the revised master plan of the Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation in the council, all arrangements are set to merge 13 villages with the vicinity of five kilometers surrounding the municipal corporation to transform it as Greater Rajamahendravaram. With the merger of these villages into the corporation, the officials are making it clear that the facilities will enhance in the merged villages.

Apart from the move by government, the residents of the 13 village are in fear that the taxes will increase and are in a plan to approach the municipal corporation regarding the issues that will affect them after the merger.Some of the villagers are making it clear they don’t need the merger as they have already developed and the merger will not boost their living standards.Lala Cheruvu panchayath, having 15 thousand population and 3,000 houses is adjacent to the city. The residents fulfill their needs by going into the city and they don’t need the merger.

They are in fear that the house taxes will increase significantly after the merger and some the people are considering to shift to nearby villages after the merger with the high rents.Metla Yesupadam, ex-sarpanch of the village said that the people here habituated to approach panchayath office in the village for every work and now they have to go all the way to municipal corporation office for every small work which is very difficult.

He observed that the common people will definitely struggle to get plans approved in the corporation.Palacherla village is another village that is going to be merged into the corporation is blessed with huge real estate business and it has been developed in all fronts. Solar light have been also set up in all corners of the village. Roads and drains are very developed in the village.

Kothapalli Satyannarayana of the village said, “We are earning good amount through registration fees as ventures are being developed in the village. We don’t need the help of the corporation as our income will go into the corporation if the village is merged and house taxes is doubled. Our village is situated at key place and we have water filtration unit as well”.

Kolamuru village has also goof financial resources and developed in all fronts. Residents of the villages are in dilemma over the merger. The village has good roads, drains along with the drinking water of Godavari. Rich people of the village are in fear of high taxes on their properties and farmers worry about their fields on which taxes will be laid if the merger takes place.

But, some of the villages are looking on the positive side if the village is merged. Padala Prasad, elder of the village said that the urban housing will develop the village after the merger. He observed that farmers are selling their lands worth of one crore for just Rs 20 lakh for real estate with the fear of conversion.Katheru is another village in the outskirts of the city has also been developed on infrastructure front and the villagers are also in feeling that the corporation may not care about their needs.

The main fear of the villagers is that the corporation will impose taxes on vacant lands which are common in villages.Villagers have no hope of development after the merger, but they fear of high taxes. Gangina Hanumantha Rao, village elder said that vacant lands (Doddi) are common in the village and the municipal corporation will impose vacant land tax after the merger. He explained that farming lands will be transformed into residential lands after the merger and farmers have already started the process of conversion to prevent their lands from taken away by the government for any developmental and welfare programmes.He made it clear that the farmers have to pay the taxes for their vacant lands after the merger.