The end is near

The end is near
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Highlights

Once a major urban infrastructure development corporation, the existence of Quli Qutub Shah Urban Development Authority (QQSUDA) is hanging in the balance for over a decade now. While the State government is not coming clear about the future of the agency, staff working with it is vexed up with the silence. Funds crunch over the past ten years has crippled the authority to the core.

Hyderabad: Once a major urban infrastructure development corporation, the existence of Quli Qutub Shah Urban Development Authority (QQSUDA) is hanging in the balance for over a decade now. While the State government is not coming clear about the future of the agency, staff working with it is vexed up with the silence. Funds crunch over the past ten years has crippled the authority to the core.

The authority was established in 1982 to carry out development works in the Old City, but the body remains dysfunctional for the major part. The organisation had jurisdiction in over 11 assembly constituencies — Charminar, Bahadurpura, Yakutpura, Chandrayangutta, Malakpet, Goshamahal, Karwan, Nampally, Jubilee Hills and parts of Maheshwaram and L B Nagar. However, now the only work it does is minor repair and restoration besides construction of school buildings and Public Health Centres (PHC)s in the Old City.

L Kishan, administrator QQSUDA said that there was no change in the funds allocation so far. He said that the amount allotted to the body was much lower than the previous year. “We received Rs 5.15 crore for 2016-17. The works for the 2017-18 are worth Rs 1.34 crore besides Rs 27 lakh road work,” he informed.

Most of the works taken up by the QQSUDA include construction of CC Roads, community halls, libraries, urban health centres and others. The standalone body, whose chairman is supposedly the Chief Minister functions under the supervision of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Commissioner.

It takes up works only Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) and works upon the recommendations of MLAs. It is to be noted that most of the MLAs were not giving any work to the Authority under Constituency Development Fund (CDF) further diminishing its existence. Earlier, MP and MLAs used to redirect all the repair, maintenance and construction works under CDF but now this has also stopped.

The neglect by the State government has led to severe funds crunch for the authority resulting in difficulties for employees associated with it. Not only that, it has been revealed that salaries are not being paid on time. A few opposition leaders from the Old City raised their voice against the apathy of the government regarding QQSUDA alleging that the Authority was systematically diminished to the current state. The writing on the wall is clear: The end is near.

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