50 Hyderabad roads to be declared commercial?

HYDERABAD: In a major move that will ensure good revenue generation, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has identified as many as 50 road stretches — all 100-feet wide — in its limits to be declared as commercial roads. In fact, the municipal body has already sent the proposal to the State government for the final approval.

These stretches were identified by a committee, constituted by GHMC Commissioner M Dana Kishore last month following directions from Mayor Bonthu Rammohan who asked the Corporation to identify certain road stretches as commercial roads and to submit proposals to the government through the GHMC’s Standing Committee. 

The committee, which comprises GHMC Chief City Planner, GHMC Director of Town Planning and GHMC Engineering-in-Chief, was assisted by all the GHMC Zonal Commissioners of six zones to identify such roads that have potential for commercial development and could be partly converted for commercial use. 

Change in category

The GHMC officials informed Express that land use for these 50 roads will be changed from residential to commercial category. The said roads are not notified in the existing Master Plan of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority and they are presently notified under residential category, which is causing huge revenue losses to the Corporation. 

The GHMC has decided to change the land use of these roads as they have already turned into commercial hubs and are devoid of any residential activity. 

This will make way for GHMC to levy impact fee on owners approaching for building permissions and to levy property tax on commercial lines. The impact fee to be levied ranges from `300 to `400 per square feet in the GHMC limits on commercial properties. The corporation  now wants permission to levy impact fee for unnotified commercial roads.

According to officials, as per the Master Plan approved for the GHMC areas falling outside erstwhile MCH, certain areas have been earmarked for commercial use. 
Certain strips of land along major roads, including National Highways and State Highways, were also earmarked for commercial use.