Revive QQSUDA or merge it with GHMC, demand employees

• The board received no funds from government in the past six years
• Employees not getting their salaries on regular basis
• The board is scraping by on the rents
• A total of 73 regular and 68 outsourced employees work for the board

Darulshifa: The employees of the Quli Qutub Shah Urban Development Authority (QQSUDA) demand the government to either revive the fund-strapped board or merge the board with the GHMC by scrapping the board, which was constituted exclusively to oversee the developmental works in parts of Old City.

For the past one decade, QQSUDA has been slowly losing the patronage from the government. With no funds for at least the past 6 years, the employees have been unable to receive salaries on regular basis.

It has been more than nine months since a higher official oversaw board’s proceedings, and currently, an official from GHMC is handling the proceedings under additional charge.

The QQSUDA was found in 1981 to undertake development works in Old City. The activities of the board extend to the areas as far as Toli Chowki.

The civic issues in the respective wards of old city, such as roads, drains, compound walls and many of the major projects were undertaken by the authority ever since it came into existence.

Major projects by QQSUDA include development of Deccan Park in Toli Chowki, Quli Qutub Shah Stadium in Petla Burj, Dhoolpet Stadium, Karwan Stadium, Dabeerpura Bridge, small RUB in Chaderghat and constructions of government junior and degree colleges in Golconda and many structures of government schools.

“Since the past six years, government has been neglecting QQSUDA. Due to the lack of funds no more developments are happening in Old City,” said B Anjayiah, superintendent (working since 1985).

Anjayiah also said that QQSUDA is scraping by on the nominal rents it receives from Quli Qutub Shah Stadium, Deccan Park and the shops near Government Tibbi Hospital at Charminar and the funds from MP and local MLAs, which also stopped in the recent years.

Speaking to The Hans India, vice president of QQSUDA Employees’ Union Mohammed Bahadur Khan said that there were a total of 73 regular and 68 outsourced employees working for the board.

The employees have not been receiving their salaries regularly, and in the recent months employees also started protesting for the release of salaries.

“Due to the lack of funds, around 2 lakh are being spent on employees in engineer department, including other expenses, as there are no major works at hand,” he added.

Bahadur Khan also said that due to lack of funds the maintenance at QQSUDA Office is also being neglected. “The condition of the office is also worst. Chunks of roof have fallen recently.

Fans and lights stopped working and in the QQSUDA premises have turned into a dump ground. The government should take a decision, either to revive or merge the board with the GHMC,” Khan said.