Hyderabad: BRS Quthbullapur MLA KP Vivekananda Goud has expressed strong objections to the Telangana government’s recent ordinance that merges 51 villages around the Outer Ring Road (ORR) into nearby municipalities.
He criticized the decision for its urgency and the absence of prior consultation with local MLAs, labelling the move as rushed and poorly planned.
Speaking to reporters at Telangana Bhavan, Vivekananda highlighted the government’s failure to engage in discussions about the ordinance with local representatives or to convene an all-party meeting.
He argued that the cabinet sub-committee’s recommendations appeared to be heavily swayed by Congress leaders, lacking adequate representation from other political parties.
Additionally, he raised concerns about the implications of merging these gram panchayats, which would require local residents to pay taxes equivalent to those in Hyderabad, despite the absence of adequate infrastructure to support such changes.
He compared the development of cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai with Hyderabad emphasizing that their progress was achieved through decentralization rather than centralization.
He cautioned that chief minister A Revanth Reddy’s intention to centralize authority could lead to significant challenges.
He expressed concerns that the ordinance might inflict lasting damage on both the public and the state’s economy.
The BRS MLA described the ordinance as a self-serving initiative that would impose additional burdens on the public instead of providing benefits.
He pointed out that Hyderabad’s reputation is jeopardized due to such poorly planned actions and criticized the downturn in the real estate sector, attributing it to inadequate governance and the absence of clear guidelines for demolitions.
He urged the government to halt the merger process and organize an all-party meeting for a thorough discussion on the matter.
