Hyderabad: Medchal-Malkajgiri residents continue to wallow in neglect

Hyderabad: Residents of Medchal-Malkajgiri have been waiting for development since 2014, though the State government claims to have taken up works in the constituency. An RTI response from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) disclosed the status of the decade-old pending works in the constituency due to which public outrage has been drastically increasing against the ruling party. Residents of Malkajgiri district feel the district is the most neglected in Telangana.

The RTI exposes the fact the government has no serious intention of development since the pending works revealed since 2014 till date only Rs 236 crore worth projects were taken up in the constituency; whereas actual projects have not even been listed in those kept pending by the GHMC.

Speaking to The Hans India, social activist and resident of Malkajgiri Robin Zaccheus who filed the RTI said, "multiple RTIs have disclosed that neither has the State government approached the Indian Army with a formal proposal for the SRDP phase IV project,from Tirumalgherry to ECIL, nor has the GHMC responded to the South Central Railway's letter dated 1 November, 2011, communicating to the GHMC that the RK Puram ROB work costs Rs 7.35 crore. The SCR requested payment of 2 per cent charges, Rs 14.7 lakh, for preparing and approving drawing and estimates. The SCR stated "to date there is no correspondence" as disclosed in the RTI.

The GHMC was keeping the SRDP phase IV project on hold for more than four years now. The second RTI on January 23, 2022 and June 3 revealed a standard response from the GHMC stating that the "DPR is to be finalised" on SRDP phase IV project.

Robin demanded the government to immediately release funds for infrastructure development in Malkajgiri district. "The district collector and the local MLA and the municipal commissioner need to conduct a joint survey and ensure pending projects are immediately taken up and completed on a war-footing basis", he urged the government.

The RTI response by the GHMC shows that only Rs 480 crore worth development works were completed in eight years; only Rs 236 crore worth works are listed in the pending works by the GHMC.

Meanwhile, the residents have urged the government to immediately complete the pending development works in the constituency.