INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
HYDERABAD: The GHMC has lost over `300 crore in management of its estate properties
In addition scores of its Estate wing officials have been collecting rent amounts pertaining to leased properties but are not depositing
The amount thus lost is yet to be tabulated but would run into crores.According to highly placed sources, an official working in the
Secunderabad zone has been collecting rent of leased properties in Secunderabad zone since 2008 without depositing the same with the GHMC
This lone official has swindled GHMC of `6 crore
Surprisingly, civic body authorities discovered this irregularity only recently
When they questioned the official, he maintained that he could only pay `30 lakh as one-time settlement
There are lease holders who are paying mere `25 annual rent for properties for decades in such locations.Officials contacted by Deccan
Chronicle claimed that GHMC is neither collecting lease rents nor calling for renewal of leases due to political pressure
official said the GHMC is now planning to geo-tag and map all leased properties
It has issued eviction orders to all individuals and organisations who have completed the 25-year lease period but have not renewed them
GHMC now proposes to call bids for leasing out properties for a period of one year
At the end of it, the tenant will have to renew the lease every year
Information pertaining to leased properties will be put in the public domain to enhance transparency and accountability.Further, shop owners
All payments for renewal would have to be deposited only online, so that human element and resultant swindling of money is avoided, the
Once the Act is amended, the corporation will list all its leased properties and renew rents as per the current market value, which would
With regard to properties leased for 25 years, GHMC will impose fines for arrears up to three years and only then renew the lease on
properties.Incidentally, the civic body has enhanced the rent of about 1,300 properties, whose lease period had been less than 25 years
This has increased the expected revenue from `30 crore to `100 crore
However, the corporation has another 1,000 properties for which the lease is for more than 25 years
GHMC revealed that the corporation has 599 markets and 751 commercial complexes, which it has leased for a period of 25 years
In addition, the civic body has leased out another 1,519 markets and 121 commercial complexes for a period of more than 25 years
Interestingly, though GHMC has identified 2,990 properties belonging to it after verifying its records, it is still clueless about data
regarding renewal of all its leased properties.
