Hyderabad's civic administration will not see an immediate division, as the state government clarified it has no current plans to split the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). The announcement came from Telangana's Minister for IT and Industries, D Sridhar Babu, in the state assembly on Monday.
No Administrative or Financial Motive Behind Split Proposal
Responding to a series of written questions submitted by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA T Harish Rao, Minister Sridhar Babu, speaking on behalf of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, provided crucial clarifications. He firmly stated that there is "no" specific administrative or financial objective driving the proposed trifurcation of the expanded GHMC at this juncture. This effectively means the creation of smaller civic bodies from GHMC is shelved for the foreseeable future.
The questions, posed during the assembly's question hour, could not be discussed orally as Harish Rao and other BRS members were absent from the House. The queries focused heavily on the financial implications of any potential split.
Government Addresses Debt Concerns and Fiscal Management
The BRS's written questions probed into several key financial areas. They inquired about fresh debt plans through new municipal entities, the engagement of external consultants for loans, plans for loan repayment including potential hikes in property tax or user charges, and the current debt burden.
Minister Sridhar Babu provided clear responses. He answered "no" to the question on raising fresh debt through new municipal bodies. For questions regarding consultants, repayment plans, and fee structures, he stated the questions "do not arise." On the outstanding debt, he revealed that GHMC's total debt stood at Rs 4,717 crore as of December 2025. He emphasized that the present Congress government had not accrued any new debt in the preceding 12 months.
Shifting the focus to previous administrations, the minister accused the former BRS government of borrowing Rs 6,401 crore between 2018 and 2023 at high interest rates. He asserted that the incumbent government has initiated steps to reduce this financial burden and is working to bring discipline to departments for prudent fiscal management.
In a related financial update, Sridhar Babu mentioned that the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) is currently seeking fresh loans worth Rs 5,000 crore from nationalised banks.
Minister Criticizes Opposition Boycott
The minister used the platform to criticize the main opposition party, BRS, for its consistent absence from assembly proceedings. He pointed out that despite agreeing to discussion topics in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting, BRS members chose to boycott the session.
"Their absence reflects their commitment towards the people," Sridhar Babu remarked sarcastically. He cited another instance where opposition members were absent during a government presentation on Krishna river water. "They make presentations outside the assembly instead of raising the issues in the House which is in session," he added.
Furthermore, the minister expressed strong disapproval of the manner in which BRS members had allegedly cast aspersions on Assembly Speaker G Prasad Kumar. He urged the chair to take appropriate action against them for their conduct.
The clarifications put to rest immediate speculation about the restructuring of Hyderabad's civic body while highlighting the government's stance on fiscal responsibility and its ongoing political tussle with the opposition.
