A call centre for the citizens to log on complaints is being lined up for the New Year by the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH). The initiative aimed at ensuring more responsible and professional response to queries and complaints on the corporation would become operational in a couple of months. "The centre will be functioning from 7 a.m. tentatively till 9 p.m. and at a later stage, we hope to integrate it with other departments looking after water, electricity and road transport as well," said the MCH Commissioner Chitra Ramachandran. Detailing the road map drawn up for the city for the year 2004, she said replacing the present market yards at select places with multi-storied complexes to ensure clean and hygienic premises for shopping was also high on the agenda.

"As of now, we have identified some markets at Ameerpet, Punjagutta, Sultan Bazar and Mallepally, for setting up these complexes," she said. Another priority area was the completion of the much-delayed Road Over Bridges at Muslimjung, Seetaphalmandi and Jamai Osmania, she said. Planning for 2004, its time also to look back at the year that was. The civic body had much to cheer on the financial front as it managed to retain an impetus gained from the successful property tax drive. The corporation coffers swelled as the property tax collection which was a poor Rs. 36.30 crores in 1995-96 rose to Rs.153.24 crores in 2002-2003 and stood around Rs. 171 crores during the present year. "For the next year, we estimate the property tax collection to be around Rs. 207 crores," said the MCH Commissioner. Simultaneously, the capital expenditure too rose during the period. The expenditure which was Rs. 189.2 crores in 2001-02, climbed to Rs. 201.55 crores during 2002-03 and stood at Rs. 251.05 crores in 2003-04.

And as the corporation continued trimming its expenditure in the form of salaries, the component slid down from 46.52 per cent in 1991-92 to 20.08 per cent in 2002-04. "We plan to bring it down further to 18.21 per cent in 2004-05," Mrs. Ramachandran said. Apart from the finances, the year 2003 brought awards to the corporation. The MCH won the International Illumination Design Award, CRISIL award for solid waste management and the HUDCO `Clean & Green' award for the fourth consecutive year. Mrs. Ramachandran insists all-round development of each of the 100 wards was attempted at. "We took up works costing at least Rs. 50 lakh in each ward and no one can charge us of selective development," she added.