GHMC failed to prevent unauthorised constructions: CAG

Hyderabad: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), in its report on Local Bodies for the year ended 31 March 2017, said that the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) could not ensure compliance with regard to implementation of Building Rules issued by Government.

"This resulted in deviations to the approved plans and proliferation of unauthorised constructions. During 2012-17, deviations existed in 30,864 assessments (41%) out of 75,387 property tax assessments in test-checked Circles. Of these, 10,460 were unauthorised constructions," the GHMC said in its report submitted before the Telangana Legislative Assembly on Thursday.

The CAG reports said that the GHMC did not ensure strict compliance with regard to enforcement of penal provisions for non/delay in payment of Property tax. Of the total arrears of Rs 1403.43 crore as of March 2017 in respect of residential and non-residential properties, an amount of Rs. 900.33 crore (64%) was pending for more than three years from 1,78,701 assessments.

Lack of data integration between the Town Planning wing (building permissions) and Revenue sing (trade licenses and Property Tax) resulted in short assessment of Property Tax. Audit analysis in six test-checked circles showed short assessment of Rs. 5.25 crore In 708 assessments.

The collection of segregated waste from primary waste generating units was only 27% of the total Municipal Solid Waste. Further, the poor segregation facilities at transfer stations burdened the landfill site.

Efforts for processing and safe disposal of waste were not effective. Establishment of waste to energy plants, which was envisaged as important source of disposal of Municipal Solid Waste had not materialised due to land issues. Two new processing and disposal units at Choutuppal and Lakdaram were yet to be established. Reclamation of existing dump sites was also not done, said the CAG report.

The draft master plan for strengthening storm water drainage system for the city prepared in 2011 was yet to be implemented. There were 461 water logging points in the city, of which 52 were critical and 67 major traffic Junctions. All these water logging points were prone to risk of inundation during monsoon due to non-availability of connecting/aligning system to the nearby storm water drains.

The Corporation undertook 71 Improvement works on 26 storm water drains with estimated loss of Rs. 350.13 crore. A total of Rs. 187.80 crave was expended on these works as of July 2017. Of these, 39 works were completed, 16 works were in progress and 16 works were stopped mid-way due to failure of GHMC in evicting encroachments.

The CAG said that the GHMC failed in protecting water bodies. There were 12,182 encroachments along nalas and water bodies, of which only 847 (7%) were evicted as of July 2017. Seventeen lakes were not traceable while nine lakes were fully encroached. The incidence of missing lakes showed non-protection of water bodies resulting in continuance of inundation during monsoons, says the CAG report.