Hyderabad February 12: A fierce fight to retain control of the Industrial Area Local Authorities (IALA) is on after a meeting by the Federation of Andhra Pradesh Notified Municipal Industrial Area Service Societies (FAPNMIASS) flatly refused to merge the IALAs with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
Speaking to media persons at the Surana Hall in FAPCCI House on Friday FAPNMIASS president RJ Mohan Rao said that the GHMC should bother about developing areas already under its control rather than hoping to add the IALA.
He said that the IALA carry out development works in the areas by the money collected through taxes and are well appreciated.
Mr Mohan Rao alleged that the GHMC is eyeing the IALA so that the revenue generated there can go in its kitty.
The FAPNMIASS chief also questioned why the GHMC is interested in the 16 IALAs surrounding Hyderabad while no other Civic Body has targeted the areas close to them.
FAPNMIASS secretary SA Akheel stated that the IALAs were set up through a Legislation brought out by the state government and the GHMC is not empowered to take over the IALAS. He said that the GHMC was rooting to bring an amendment to the existing Legislation so that its aim of adding the IALA revenues to its kitty are fulfilled.
Pointing out that 30 per cent of the Gandhinagar Industrial Area has been encroached upon but the GHMC is not taking any action against the land-grabbers. Mr Akheel added that the GHMC is collecting taxes from the industries set up in the area but has not taken up any development works.
FAPCCI president Shekar Agarwal said that the IALAs once existed only in Andhra Pradesh and other states, such as Maharashtra and Gujarat, after observing the benefits of the areas have to set up such bodies there.
Mr Agarwal said that even the Prime Minister has advised other states to follow Andhra Pradesh’s example and set up IALAs in their territories.
The IALAs were set up in order to have active involvement of the tax payer industries in the maintenance of Civic Amenities in the industrial areas the concept of Self Governance with the member industrialists a nodal agency called “Service Societies” were found for taking up prompt and satisfactory maintenance of Civic Services in the notified industrial Areas.
Since formation of Industrial Area Local Authority, Service Societies the development of civic infrastructure in the industrial Estates were taken up on priority basis with the revenues generated through property tax, building permission fees, trade license fees, stamp duty etc.
INN