Laxmi Priya Colony residents withhold taxes, demand paved roads in Manikonda
Manikonda: Residents of Laxmi Priya Colony in Manikonda are fuming over the neglected state of their roads. The colony’s roads were dug up last year for various infrastructure projects, including sewage and stormwater drainage, and HMWSSB pipelines. However, they were left unpaved and in disrepair after the work was completed.
Frustrated by the lack of progress despite repeated appeals to the Manikonda Municipality and HMWSSB authorities, residents launched a campaign called ‘No Road No Tax’ on March 1, 2024. Their year-long fight for a solution has yielded no results.
While speaking to the Hyderabad Mail, Karthik Jammulapati, a resident of Lakshmi Priya Colony, said, “Our colony road was dug up for various projects, but there was no proper resurfacing done afterwards. In September 2023, the municipality further excavated the entire road for stormwater drainage. To this date, there has been no patching or resurfacing. Whenever we contact them, we receive excuses like election codes, council issues, and now claims of tenders being floated. But nothing concrete has materialized.”
Karthik Jammulapati further alleges that since the formation of the Manikonda Municipality in 2019 and subsequent Council Elections in January 2020, no roads in Manikonda have been fully developed. “Our Ward Councilor, Kavya Buddolu, doesn’t even visit our area,” he added.
   
  
This frustration is the driving force behind the ‘No Road No Tax’ campaign. “We refused to pay property tax when the collector came for collection,” explained Karthik. “Our stance is clear: no new roads, no taxes. We haven’t paid taxes for the financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25. Our ward, Hanuman Nagar, has been generating approximately Rs. 1.5 crore annually in property tax since 2020, yet there is no development in our area. We demand accountability. Where is our tax money being spent?”
Residents urge the authorities to expedite the construction of new roads and address their long-standing grievances.
