Headless HMDA adrift in unknown waters

Cash-strapped and without a full-time chief, the planning body is also clueless on how the new govt. views its projects – both current and proposed. Piling on the woes of the cash-strapped planning body, the Income Tax Department has been seeking dues to the tune of Rs.500 crore.

October 21, 2014 12:20 am | Updated November 16, 2021 10:13 pm IST - HYDERABAD:

A well planned Hyderabad City is what the HMDA hopes to build the metro into in days to come. Photo: P.V. Sivakumar

A well planned Hyderabad City is what the HMDA hopes to build the metro into in days to come. Photo: P.V. Sivakumar

These are uncertain times for the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA). With near-empty coffers, little resources, its projects in limbo and no full-time chief to manage its affairs, the planning body has most of its activities put on hold.

A month ago, the Telangana government relieved Neerabh Kumar Prasad of his role as HMDA Commissioner, and Special Chief Secretary K. Pradeep Chandra was asked to bear the additional charge. In the absence of a regular Commissioner to take care of its affairs, several projects that have been in the pipeline wait to be pursued and taken forward.

At the same time, senior officials await clarity on the status of projects that were conceived by the former Commissioner under the earlier government.

“Most concepts such as Education Hub, Hyderabad Habitat Centre, Science City, Transit Oriented Development and Land Pooling were conceived during the Congress rule, before the State was bifurcated. We are trying to understand how the government of newly-created Telangana will view these,” an official said.

Mr. Neerabh Kumar’s exit from the HMDA has also resulted in a situation where either a full-time Commissioner has to be appointed, who would then go through the concepts and pursue them, or the present in-charge Commissioner gets briefed, and he in turn takes the matter forward with government.

“Almost all projects have to be briefed and opinions sought afresh from the new government,” concedes another official.

Await final clearance

A few proposals, such as the Inter-City Bus Terminal (ICBT) at Miyapur, and Logistics Parks at Bata Singaram and Mangalapally, that were initiated on public-private partnership mode, have completed all formalities and await final clearance from the government. HMDA officials do not rule out the possibility of some of the projects being axed. “The present government might have different ideas or perceive the already-prepared proposals in a different light,” he said.

I-T woes

Piling on the woes of the cash-strapped planning body, the Income Tax Department has been seeking dues to the tune of Rs.500 crore, and even froze its bank accounts couple of times earlier. The issue remained unsolved with the HMDA pleading its case that the amounts for which IT dues were sought, happened to be revenues generated from land auctions and transferred to the government treasury.

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