People worried about taxes, politicians about careers as Telangana Govt prepares to merge villages, municipalities

People are concerned that property taxes and other charges will rise without any corresponding improvements in infrastructure or amenities. Similarly, many leaders are becoming anxious about the impact this will have on their political careers.

Hyderabad: The State government’s decision to merge many villages into surrounding municipalities and proposals to merge neighbouring municipalities into corporations, is triggering concerns among people and politicians as well.

The people are worried that property tax and other charges would be increased without any infrastructure improvement and provision of amenities. Likewise, many leaders are getting anxious about their political careers.

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The State government on September 2 issued a gazette merging 51 gram panchayats within and near Outer Ring Road into different municipalities of Rangareddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri and Sangareddy districts. In addition to these, a decision on establishment of two new municipal corporations, including Mahabubnagar and Mancherial and 12 new municipalities has been taken by the government. The same was informed in the Assembly by Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu last week.

The State government had taken these decisions considering the aspirations of the people about development and rapid urbanization, he claimed, adding that in the process, the character of the villages getting merged into nearby municipalities would change.

Recommendations of district Collectors and Special Officers in panchayats were also considered before taking these decisions, he added.

On the contrary, people, especially those in villages being merged, are worried about the additional expenditure through levy of increased property taxes and other charges. For instance, the trade licence fee for establishing a provision store or any other establishment in a gram panchayat would be very low compared to a municipality. People definitely aspire for development but merger of villages without any infrastructure development and additional burden of increased taxes and charges would be challenging, a member of Telangana Sarpanches Association said.

Six villages were merged into Mahabubnagar Municipal Corporation. Of the 61 villages in Medchal constituency, 28 have been merged into nearby municipalities.

Rural atmosphere prevails in majority of these villages and many are still dependent on farming for eking out their livelihood. A resident living in a small house in these villages would have to pay taxes similar to those living in GHMC area without the provision of wide roads, improved amenities and other facilities.

Similarly, leaders in the villages are anxious about their political career and the same was stressed by Medchal MLA Ch Malla Reddy in the Assembly. In the Medchal constituency, there are seven municipalities, three corporations and 61 villages.

Right from corporators, councilors, Mayor, sarpanches and ward members, over 440 leaders were elected in the recent past. Now, once the villages were merged into municipalities and municipalities were clubbed into different corporations, their political prospects would be affected, he said.