GHMC game for developing parks in 150 divisions

Mayor pulls up Town Planning Department officials for illegal constructions

The GHMC is ready to develop at least one good park in each of the 150 divisions of the twin cities. The work will be done in coordination with the corporator concerned, said Commissioner M.T. Krishna Babu during a recent interaction with the corporators of the East Zone. A four-acre park at Saket Nagar is also to be developed as a biodiversity park.

He also reiterated the offer of taking up water supply schemes in the colonies if the respective associations come forward and contribute 30 per cent of the cost.

Earlier, Mayor Mohd. Majid Hussain pointed out that the municipal corporation was taking up works of up to Rs. 3 crore in each of the divisions under various heads. The demand for increasing the corporators budget to 1.5 crore from the current Rs. 1 crore will be examined, he said.

Special drive

Mr. Hussain pulled up the Town Planning Department on the spree of illegal constructions, especially in the L.B. Nagar. Special vigil should be maintained against unauthorised structures and also encroachments of the public spaces like parks and lakes, Mr. Krishna Babu said, and directed a special drive to remove them. The Engineering Wing was told to come up with proposals to beautify the existing lakes.

Later, during the standing committee meeting, the Mayor demanded the Chief City Planner to provide a list of illegal buildings in the city within two weeks in all circles. He also called for accountability by the medical officers concerned for upkeep of sanitation in their respective areas.

The panel had cleared a Rs. 2.75 crore project to widen the existing bridge on the Hussainsagar surplus nala at Arvindnagar between Indira Park and RTC crossroads. Repairs for storm water drains are to be taken up at Balkapur, Golconda and other places.

Extend BPS, LRS deadline: TDP

In the meantime, Telugu Desam Party floor leader Singireddy Srinivas Reddy has appealed to Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy to ensure that the last date for the final payment of penal fee for the pending BPS and LRS to be extended up to March 31, 2013.

In his communication, he said that in view of the ongoing vacation period and the forthcoming Sankranti, it will be prudent to accept the final payments up to the end of the financial year for the applicants to fulfil the mandatory steps. The GHMC has threatened stringent action against those not paying up the remaining penal fee or submitting the pending documents before or by Dec. 31.