BRS MLA objects to govt ordinance on merger of gram panchayats in Hyderabad suburbs

BRS Quthbullapur MLA KP Vivekananda Goud questions the rationale behind merging the gram panchayats which would force locals to pay taxes on par with Hyderabad, but without proper infrastructure.

Hyderabad: BRS Quthbullapur MLA KP Vivekananda Goud raised objections to the State government’s decision to merge 51 villages located within and around Outer Ring Road (ORR) into Hyderabad suburban municipalities through an ordinance. He questioned the urgency and lack of consultation in taking such a significant step, terming it as hasty and ill-conceived.

Addressing the mediapersons at Telangana Bhavan on Thursday, Vivekananda criticised the government’s failure to discuss the ordinance with local MLAs or hold an all-party meeting. He argued that the Cabinet sub-committee’s decisions were heavily influenced by Congress leaders without proper representation from other parties. He questioned the rationale behind merging the gram panchayats which would force locals to pay taxes on par with Hyderabad, but without proper infrastructure.

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Drawing comparisons with cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai, he pointed out that their development came through decentralisation, but not centralization. He warned that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s desire to centralise power and control everything would lead to misery. He feared that the ordinance could result in long-term harm to both the public and the State’s economy.

The BRS MLA dubbed the ordinance a greedy move that would burden the public rather than benefit them. He noted that Hyderabad’s prestige is at risk due to such unplanned decisions and criticised the collapse of the real estate sector, attributing it to poor governance and lack of proper guidelines for demolitions. He demanded that the government stop the merger process and convene an all-party meeting to discuss the issue in-depth.