Hyderabad: Jalpally civic body fails to roll out basic facilities

Jalpally: Though the Jalpally Municipality registered over 70 per cent tax collection in the year 2021-2022, people still say that they are the least benefitted in terms of facilities like proper roads, sanitation and healthcare in their areas. According to official statistics, out of a total demand of Rs 558.10 lakh in 2021-2022, the municipality managed to collect 70.48 percent of the property tax that calculated to Rs 393.37 lakh collection with a balance of Rs 164.73 lakh.

Though a major part of the property tax was collected during the last fiscal year, dwellers say that no proper facilities are being provided to them ever since the formation of municipality despite sharing boundaries with the cosmopolitan city of Hyderabad.The Jalpally municipality formed in 2016 by merging the erstwhile gram panchayats like Jalpally, Othapet, Pahadi Shareef and Balapur, together has been divided into 28 wards that provide an abode to around 23,961 families.

Blaming the government of turning a nelson's eye towards the people of Jalpally Municipality, Ismail Khan a resident of Rajiv Gandhi Nagar in Pahadi Shareef said, "Except one or two main roads in each ward in a whole municipality, no other facility has been provided to the people. Most of the wards are lacking proper roads, sewage system and sanitation. The road works done under the Building Regularisation Scheme, for which the officials are beating the drums, are done only to save their own skin."

Shakir Ahmed rued that "The moment one enters the colonies, streets are filled with grit, grime and garbage scattered all around. Apart from providing proper roads and sewage systems, no proper sanitation is being put into play. More unfortunate is the lack of government dispensaries or basti dawakhana in any of the 28 wards of the municipality."

"Municipality collecting the tax sans any accountability over their services. Development works are only confined to inaugurations. Almost four months have passed now after laying the foundation stone for roads in Pahadi Shareef area but no works have been taken up yet. No proper water supply also compounds in the issues of local people," bemoaned Syed Ameer Ali, another resident.