Govt. accused of controlling MCH through special officers

By T. Lalith Singh

HYDERABAD, JULY 22. As the High Court prepares to hear the State Government on the much delayed polls to the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH) on Monday, political parties have their fingers crossed on the likelihood of elections by the end of the year. Elections to the corporation were last held in 1986.

The Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) which won 38 divisions to emerge as the single largest party in the last body, argued that it was time elections were held. "For more than 10 years, people of Hyderabad and Secunderabad have suffered for want of local representatives in taking care of civic amenities here," Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi, the party MLA from Charminar, said.

In effect, Mr.Owaisi said, people of the twin cities had no control over various projects and programmes and also the amount spent on them by the MCH. "Everything is dependent on the officials now. In a democracy, only elected representatives can truly fulfil the aspirations of people," he said.

In the last decade slums were ignored completely, construction activity went unchecked and people had to fight the scarcity of drinking water in summer and inundations during the rains, Mr.Asaduddin said. "The elected representatives would have been more sympathetic to the needs of the common man and solved these problems," he said.

The former Congress MLA, Mr. M.Kodanda Reddy, charged the State Government with controlling the MCH through the special officers. He found fault with several decisions made by the MCH under the Commissioner and Special Officer and also the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA) for taking up unnecessary projects and ignoring the genuine problems of the people of the twin cities.

"The problems of drinking water and sewerage system were not really addressed in recent times, while flyovers were constructed. Last year's flooding of twin cities showed the haphazard functioning of the present system. An elected body would have been more careful in such matters," he said.

The Telugu Desam Party leader and Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA) Chairman, Mr. T. Krishna Reddy, sought to differ with the argument that the twin cities had suffered for want of an elected Corporation. "Hyderabad and Secunderabad have been doing well in terms of civic amenities. The development achieved in the last few years is there for everyone to see," he said.

Mr. Krishna Reddy, however, was quick to clarify, "it doesn't mean that local body elections need not be held. It is good to have an elected body. The Government has to take a decision to this effect." He said the TDP was ready for the polls and "our workers are geared up for the polls."

Mr. Kodanda Reddy expressed hope that the Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, would abide by his earlier announcement of holding the MCH polls after the Panchayat elections. Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi said the MIM was fully prepared to face the electorate of the twin cities and hoped that the High Court would come out with directions for holding the elections at the earliest.

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