Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) approved a budget of Rs. 7,937 crore for the upcoming financial year of 2024-25 during its council session on Tuesday, February 20.
Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi announced the unanimous approval of the budget during the meeting, revealing a breakdown of its components.
The corporation has also requested additional funds of Rs.3,492 crore from the state government to undertake other projects assigned to the corporation.
The total outlay for the upcoming financial year is Rs. 8437 crore, with Rs. 500 crore allocated for other projects.
In the provided budget estimates for 2024-25, the total anticipated revenue income amounts to Rs 5938 crores, with a newly introduced component called “Compensation to GHMC for Debt Servicing,” contributing Rs 1,200 crores.
Expenditure
On the expenditure side, the total revenue expenditure is projected to be Rs 3458 crores, whereas the total capital expenditure is slated at INR 4,479 crores, emphasizing investments in areas such as road construction, bridge building, and CRMP projects.
Approximately Rs 1640 crores are designated for various development initiatives, including Rs 375 crores for green budget, Rs 500 crores for solid waste management, Rs 380 crores for SNDP, and Rs 255 crores for street lighting.
Towards new infra
In the fiscal years 2024-25, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) allocated a sum of Rs 1,159 crores towards establishing new infrastructure and set aside Rs 500 crores specifically for the remunerations of its sanitation and entomology staff members. Administrative costs were estimated at Rs 220 crores.
Corporators raise grievances
Before the budget approval, the council addressed various municipal concerns, including sanitation, town planning, sports facilities, and property tax collection. Corporators voiced grievances over inadequate sports infrastructure in their respective divisions and urged prompt action.
Additionally, they emphasized the importance of property tax collection and proposed measures to enhance revenue, including the reintroduction of a one-time settlement scheme.
Representatives from across the political parties have called for supplementary capital from the state government, highlighting the lack of funds in the corporation’s coffers to undertake developmental activities in the budget.
Nampally Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), Majid Hussain, noted that despite limited revenue from taxes and fees, the municipality faced substantial obligations such as repaying debts totaling INR 1,664 crores during that same period.
Additionally, there were unsettled accounts owed to contractors, which led to protests seeking payment resolution.
On Sanitation
Sanitation emerged as a key focus area, with corporators highlighting deficiencies in waste management across GHMC divisions.
Multiple council representatives raised concerns about how the municipal body was allegedly squandering resources within the sanitation department, yet the city’s streets remained dirty with numerous Garbage Vulnerable Points (GVPs) and door-to-door waste collection proved inadequate
Concerns were raised about the scarcity of sweeping missions and the need for additional staff to address green waste accumulation.
In response, Mayor Vijayalakshmi announced the formation of a House Committee on Sanitation and Advertisements to address these issues comprehensively.
