Hyderabad: Telangana BJP president N Ramachander Rao on Tuesday accused the Congress govt of imposing an additional financial burden on Hyderabad’s residents through the proposed CURE (Core Urban Region Economy) legislation and the implementation of the Indiramma housing scheme.Addressing a news conference at the BJP state office, Rao alleged that the govt was using taxes, fees and deposits to ‘burden’ poor and middle-class families. He said that while the BJP had no objection to updating the 1955 municipal law to meet present-day urban needs, certain provisions in the proposed CURE legislation could lead to higher taxation and reduced accountability.The BJP leader alleged that the proposed framework would allow property taxes to increase by up to 5% annually based on registration values and could result in separate taxation for water supply and sewerage services. He also raised concerns over the role of elected representatives under the proposed system, alleging that the legislation lacked clarity on the responsibilities of corporators and ward-level representatives.Rao also criticised the Congress govt’s Indiramma housing programme, alleging that the scheme was placing a financial burden on economically weaker sections. He said that although lakhs of people were expected to be eligible across 24 assembly constituencies, notifications had been issued for only 7,680 flats. He objected to the collection of application fees and earnest money deposits (EMDs) from applicants, alleging that the process could result in substantial collections from prospective beneficiaries.The BJP leader further questioned why houses built under previous govts remained unoccupied. He referred to housing projects developed at Jawaharnagar, Pocharam, Chandanagar, Gajularamaram and Bolakpur, claiming that several completed units were yet to be allotted.
