Hyderabad: Among the citizen-friendly initiatives passed in the Telangana Municipalities Bill, 2019, yesterday were self-assessment of property tax and action or disqualification on elected members if they failed to ensure survival of 85 per cent of plants under the green drive.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao moved the bill. If unauthorised buildings were constructed without permission through online facility on an area of upto 500 sq metres with a height of the ceiling at 10 metres, they would be demolished without any notice.
Also self-certification for paying property tax. If a landlord is found to have furnished wrong information, a penalty of upto 25 times would be given. The CM said such claims would be verified by flying squads, under the supervision of district collectors.
Urban poor can now construct a house on a small plot without having to apply for permission from the municipality, and they would have to pay a house tax of only Rs 100 per annum. But to get civic facilities, these people will have to register with the municipality at a nominal charge of Re 1.
The chief minister also stressed on the importance of growing plants and trees. The bill said that municipal chairperson must constitute a green cell and earmark 10 per cent of funds in the budget toward the initiative. The chairpersons need to take up plantation in his/her ward. But if they failed to ensure survival of 85 per cent of the plants, they would be disqualified.
In an aim to eliminate corruption, government employees working at the same place for years can be transferred. Also new door numbers would be given to each house with a QR code to curb crimes.
The chief minister said people contesting in local body elections must read the new legislation. There would be only municipalities and municipal corporations and no other urban local bodies. The number of municipalities and municipal corporations in the state would be 128 and 13, respectively.
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader M Bhatti Vikramarka, who spoke on the bill, said the spirit of democracy and ‘Gram Swarajya‘ should not be lost with the Collectors being given powers over elected representatives. Rao, however, said the government does not intend to take away the powers of local bodies.
According to the Bill, the preparation of electoral rolls for and the conduct of elections to all municipalities in the state shall be under the superintendence, direction and control of the State Election Commission. All elections to Municipalities shall be held under the supervision and control of the State Election Commission. For this purpose, the SEC shall have the power to give such directions as deemed necessary to the commissioner and director of municipal administration and other officials.
It further said the schedule for the elections shall be communicated by the state government to the SEC after having decided the date of notification and date of conduct of election, including the date of election for the post of chairperson or Mayor and vice-chairman and other such members. TRS working president K T Rama Rao, who had an informal interaction with mediapersons, welcomed the Act, saying it would root out corruption and promote transparency.
Meanwhile, the BJP in the State slammed the Act alleging that many provisions were against the basic structure of the Constitution. The party urged Governor E S L Narasimhan to send back the Act. The Municipalities Act 2019 has made the State Election Commission a puppet in the hands of the government, alleged BJP. The Act is contrary to Article 243 ZA (2) of the Constitution of India, and Section 195(1) of the Act takes away the powers of the State Election Commission and takes away discretionary power of SEC for fixing dates.