Hundred Crore Scam in GHMC

A major chunk of the Rs 525-crore allocation made in the budget for maintenance of vehicles in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has been found to be misappropriated by the officials concerned during the past five years.

-Autos shown in records as 25-tonne tipper trucks

-Maintenance cost higher than cost of new vehicles

-Expenditure claimed on vehicles not in use

-Expenses for 7 vehicles were claimed in 2 offices :

(AP11W3658, AEY6739, AP9T9, AP11X6060, AP11v5323 (KVD), AP29T0091, F/R 23244).

Officials are unable to account for nearly Rs 100-crore of what was sanctioned for repairs, periodic overhaul and fuels of the corporation’s large fleet of 874 vehicles. An RTI reply by municipal officials stated that nearly Rs 167 crore was spent for vehicle maintenance and Rs 363 crore on fuel during past five years. Similarly, three-wheeler autos engaged were shown as tipper lorries and 25-tonne vehicles in the account books for drawing extra amounts under the head.

Moreover, several vehicles belonging to GHMC were used by private parties. Some of the vehicles involved in traffic violation were challaned adding to the cost of vehicle maintenance. Shockingly, it was also disclosed that GHMC incurred Rs 1.5 lakh expenditure for the maintenance of a motorcycle and Rs 1.24 lakh for a Bajaj Chetak for five years. Disclosing details given by the GHMC in response to the query, Lok Satta leader B Sambi Reddy said that out of 874 vehicles, 370 vehicles were found to be more than 15 years old while some 99 vehicles were declared unfit by the Transport Department.

He alleged that it was a hundred-crore scam by GHMC officials. He said, “The amounts spend by GHMC on the maintenance of vehicles was nearly four times the value of a new vehicle.” Ironically, no action was taken against people responsible for indulging in over expenditure, though a vigilance and ACB enquiry was conducted on the issue in the past.

The enquiry report is still with the department concerned. Another Lok Satta functionary Jagan Metla alleged that municipal officials have unscrupulously shown non-existent expenditure. He questioned the inaction of government even after conducting an enquiry against several officers concerned with the GHMC Transport Department.

Proposal of Bio-metric attendance opposed

Teachers are opposing the proposed installation of biometric attendance system and CCTV cameras at government junior colleges across the State and have demanded the government to drop the proposal.

Biometric attendance system for students

- Last date for tenders for installing biometric and CCTV cameras: Nov 30

- Lecturers’ body represented the issue with principal secretary and Commissioner,Intermediate education

- Project of biometric and CCTV camera is worth Rs 2 crore

- No money released for up-gradation of colleges ( Rs 5 crore) under free Intermediate education announcement

Alleging that these measures would deter students from attending college, the teachers sought to know the purpose of these initiatives. Government Junior College Lecturers Association president P Madhusudhan Reddy said that all positive steps of the State government towards improving standards at intermediate level would boomerang if it goes ahead with the proposed biometric attendance system in colleges.

He said that the average attendance of students at intermediate level in the State was about 60 per cent and that was based on socio-economic circumstances of the students. “It is quite impossible for every student to reach college in time and it will bring down their attendance percentage. They will not be eligible to appear in any examination,” he observed. Reddy said that while the average attendance was only 60 per cent, it goes down to 30 per cent during harvest time because most of the students find it difficult to attend colleges in rural areas, owing to their agriculture related compulsions.

According to sources there are 1.62 lakh students enrolled in 402 junior colleges spread across the State. There were 1.15 students during the last academic year. He alleged that there were vested interests behind the proposal of installing CCTVs and biometric attendance system and not reforms. Madhusudan Reddy said that after the State government has announced free intermediate education, the number of students enrolling in government colleges has increased.

However, he suggested to the State government to focus on providing basic amenities and facilities in junior colleges across the State. He informed that nearly 250 colleges do not have toilets and 75 colleges were functioning without sanctioned staff. Besides these, 50 per cent of the colleges do not have a compound wall. Intermediate Board does not allow a student to take exam if his attendance is below 75 per cent. He said, “biometric system is surely a detention policy. When the government is implementing non-detention policy at the school level, why can’t such a stand be taken at the intermediate level?”

Study Circle, A Non Starter

The Minorities Study Circle, which was launched to give free training the communities’ students appearing for competitive examinations, failed to release any notification even after two months of its inception. The study circle was established by the State government to function on a par with other study circles under BC and ST, SC Welfare Departments. Its first notification was expected to come up by October 15, but it is yet to materialise.

Thousands of students belonging to minority communities have been eagerly waiting for the notification as the recruitment notifications for various departments were being released by the departments concerned over the past six months. The State government announced to fill vacancies in various departments including police, irrigation, health, revenue, electricity and at other gazzeted positions through the TS Public Service Commission.

The study circle was aimed at providing necessary basic coaching for any competitive examination conducted by any recruiting agency in the State besides examinations by the Union Public ServiceCommission. When asked, study circle director D Neeraja attributed the delay to the announcement of byelection to the Warangal Lok Sabha. She said that after getting a nod from the State Election Commission, the study circle would release notification for different coaching courses.

“If EC allows us to go ahead with the notification, we will immediately release it or else we may have to wait till November 25, the date of announcement of poll results,” she said. It is to be noted that poll dates were declared on October 22, six days ahead of the earlier deadline of the study circle to release the notification for admission.

The director further said that so far the study circle was ready with notification for competitive examinations of Probationary Officers (PO) in banks, group examinations and civil services examinations.She said arrangements for hiring experienced faculty from reputed coaching centers have been underway.