GHMC’s outsourcing plan thwarted

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Employee’s Union (GHMEU) has now successfully managed to thwart GHMC’s plan to outsource its billing duties to private players. Recently GHMEU President Udhari Gopal wrote a letter to M T Krishna Babu, Commissioner, GHMC. He condemned the plans of outsourcing the tax collection duties to private parties and organisations.

The private parties were to be given charge of collecting property tax, trade licence fee, advertisement tax, estate collection and professional tax. The letter clearly stated that private organisations had already embezzled a lot of money that was due to the GHMC and it would be a wrong if private parties were given charge of these duties at the cost of GHMC permanent employees being completely sidelined.

When Hyderabad Hans spoke to Udhari Gopal, he said, “Most of the civic body’s budget comes through bill and tax collection. The union has 324 tax collectors who have been carrying out this duty for a long time. It is because of their efforts that the GHMC managed to collect Rs 3,800 crore last year. It is the employees who work day and night but aren’t given any recognition. The authorities always get the recognition and awards. On Monday, the commissioner took a decision to outsource these duties to some private firms without even consulting us.”

He further added that, “I spoke on the union’s behalf that we are completely against outsourcing of work. It is the employees who work, but all the praise and contracts go to private organisations. Recently, Ramky Industries was given a contract by the GHMC which was cancelled after we protested. How could they do that when they already knew that the proprietor of the company, Ayodhya Rami Reddy is an accused in the Jagan disproportionate assets case?”

According to the Employees Union President, the outsourced parties have been duping the GHMC and people by confusing and misleading them. “The Mee-Seva centres are paid a service charge per invoice. They are duplicating these invoices and claiming double the money,” said Udhari Gopal.

“The commissioner has acknowledged our request and has stopped the process of outsourcing. But if this happens again in the future, we will agitate,” added Udhari Gopal.