Elections in Huzurnagar to be tough with plenty of civic woes

Huzurnagar (Suryapet): The Huzurnagar municipality in Suryapet district was a Gram Panchayat before 2014 but became Nagara Panchayat in the same year and was recently upgraded as Municipality under the new Municipalities Act in the State.

Huzurnagar Nagara Panchayat had 20 wards and the Congress party grabbed the chairman seat with the support of 3 councillors of CPI in 2014 civic polls. In Nagara Panchayat elections, the Congress won 10 wards, CPI-3, YCP-2, TDP-3 and Independents-2.

Congress councillors Jakkula Venkataiah and Dontagani Srinivas shared chairman post for two-and-half-years and both the leaders shifted their loyalty to TRS after completion of their tenures. The leaders are now expecting Huzurnagar municipality chairman post from TRS as they are confident of winning the polls.

As per the official information, Huzurnagar municipality has 28 wards with a population of 35,850 voters, of them 28,350 are eligible voters.

Nearly Rs 18 crore worth development works were taken up in Huzurnagar municipality since 2014 and works of Rs 20 crore were sanctioned under the Telangana Urban Financial Infrastructure Development Corporation (TUFIDC), which are in the progress.

The major problem faced by the residents of Huzurnagar town is dust pollution due to heavy movement of transport vehicles as the town lies in the industrial belt and does not have bypass or ring road.

Besides this the town was also facing problems with regard to education and health sector. At present the government hospitals have staff crunch issue. The locals are forced to work as labours in local industries as the constituency has neither ITI nor Polytechnic to get required educational qualifications needed for cement and other industries.

People of Huzurnagar have been demanding ESI hospital in the town to cater the medical needs of industrial workers and general public and were also demanding that the government complete poll promise to develop local lake as Mini Tank Bund. Improvement of drainage system and construction of CC roads in all colonies were other demands. The residents also feel that there is an urgent need to repair damaged roads in the town due to works taken up under Mission Bhagiratha scheme.

Even though, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao announced Rs 25 crore for the development of Huzurnagar town during the TRS victory meeting in Huzurnagar by-election, it was not yet cleared by the finance department so far.

Speaking to The Hans India, Shaik Ankushavali, who took charge as Huzurnagar Municipal Commissioner few months ago, said that even though the Municipality was facing staff shortage problem still they were trying their level best to render valuable services to citizens. He stated that they paid special attention on collection of municipal taxes from the people to improve the financial status of the municipality.

Plans were afoot to develop the town in all aspects once they get Chief Minister's announced Rs 25 crore administrative sanction from the government, he added. He informed that layouts of illegal ventures in municipal limits were removed and have been sensitising the people over their responsibilities to keep Huzurnagar neat and clean after he took the charge as Municipal Commissioner.

He advised the people to follow the rules of municipality while taking up constructions and keep surroundings clean for carving a healthy Huzurnagar. As per the locals and political analysts, fight will be between the Congress and TRS in Huzurnagar municipal elections and added that except CPI, other political parties may not open their accounts. However, Huzurnagar municipal elections is going to be a test for TPCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy and ruling party MLA Shanampudi Saidi Reddy.