Hyderabad: The state government was urged by the Forum of Good Governance, a non-profit organisation, to take action on rising cases of corruption reported in the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA).
In a letter to the chief secretary of the state Santhi Kumari, the NGO accused the HDMA of charging exorbitant fees for required permissions. This is the reason behind the rise in land prices in the city, the NGO alleged.
“Apart from government prescribed charges there are bribes fixed at every stage of vetting the case by various sections in HMDA,” the letter read. The amount for the bribe increases with correspondence to the land’s value, it added.
According to the NGO, many long-term HMDA officers have, over time, developed vested interests.
The NGO requested the transfer of HMDA staff working for more than three years as well as demanded the introduction of a citizens charter to control corruption.