Major Developments in Hyderabad – April 2013

April was the beginning of harsh summer in Hyderabad; throughout the month it was scorching and it was too horrible in the afternoons where temperature crossed 40 degrees Celsius. Though there were some pre-monsoon rains, they lasted for a very few days and could not give enough relief from the heat.

People of Hyderabad started their Telugu New Year (Ugadi) with some anxiety on the deadline of Aadhar cards and the hike in price of domestic cooking gas and electricity. The Primary Census Abstract (PCA) revealed that the population of Hyderabad in 2011 was more than 68 lakh.

The Inter exam results were out and students were busy preparing themselves for EAMCET, IIT JEE and other advanced courses.

With the drastic fall in gold prices, people in city were thronging jewellery shops to buy gold. People went mad to buy gold. Don’t understand why people are mad over gold; experts say gold prices will fall further.

Read on to know more about the major developments that took place in Hyderabad during the month of April.

General

• Hyderabad figured in the list of “million-plus population cities”. According to the 2011 census, the population of Hyderabad’s district is 6,809,970. Out of which 35,00,802 are male and 33,09,168 are female.

• As the prices of gold dropped, several jewellery shops in the city witnessed heavy rush as people thronged jewellery shops to purchase gold. Shops at Begum Bazaar, Siddiamber Bazaar and Afzalgunj were forced to issue tokens to customers who queued up to purchase gold.

• Movie ticket rates have been increased in the city by Rs 10 to Rs 20. The ticket rate in category-2 AC theatres is Rs 75 and Rs 45 for the ordinary class.

• The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) has been rated the No. 1 airport in India, the 5th best regional airport in Asia.

• The crime rate in Hyderabad has dropped in the first three months of this year when compared to the same period in the last year. However, rape cases and chain snatching cases have increased.

• The ministry of external affairs is planning to introduce ‘ghost images’ of passport holders in all the new identity cards that will be issued from the month of May 2013.

Education

• Intermediate Second Year results were out and this year girls have outsmarted boys. Hyderabad district registered a pass per cent of 56. More than 80 per cent of students passed in first class in Hyderabad.

• Colleges in state are faking CVs to attract students for admissions. They are making false claims on 100 per cent campus placements and higher salary offers.

• The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) postponed Civil Services Mains exam to December 1st.

• The University Grants Commission (UGC) has made National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) accreditation mandatory for higher education institutions. Surprisingly JNTU-Hyderabad has not even a single college accredited by NAAC. The OU (Osmania University) has 37 colleges accredited by NAAC, out of 454 affiliated colleges.

• The inter cut-off marks for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) have been increased by 30 per cent this year.

Services

• Domestic LPG consumers will have to pay Rs 437.50 (instead of 412.50) for each cylinder from May 15th as the price of cylinder has been hiked by Rs 25. Now oil marketing companies will refund only Rs 463 into Aadhaar linked bank accounts and consumers have to pay Rs 900 for the non-subsidized cylinder.

• Cable TV users who haven’t purchased set-top boxes can now relax for some time as AP High Court extended the time limit for getting set-top boxes till 4th June.

• The Chief Minister has recently launched the ‘Project Dial 100’, an emergency service that helps the citizens during a medical, fire and other emergency. Citizens can call the police through mobile or landline phones from any service provider located anywhere in the state.

• The Central government has made it clear that there will be no more extension of the May 15 deadline for Aadhaar-LPG linkage. If the city households fail to get their Aadhaar cards before May 15, they will lose the LPG subsidy amount of Rs 463 per cylinder.

Roads and Transport

• According to statistics, death rate because of road accidents is on the rise in Hyderabad city. The number of accidents causing deaths in the city was nearly 16% of total number of road accidents in 2011. It rose to 18% in 2012 and was at 20% until March 2013.

• Two-wheeler riders reportedly cause more than 72% of all accidents in Hyderabad. The percentage of accidents involving two wheelers is increasing despite the total number of road accidents is falling. According to a survey by World Health Organization (WHO) last year, less than 20% per cent two wheelers use helmets.

• The AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) has extended facility to general bus pass holders (Rs 750 to 850) to go by Pushpak AC Metro buses that go to Shamshabad Airport. Also, ordinary bus pass holders (Rs 650) can go by Metro Deluxe and Metro Express, if they purchase ‘Metro Combi’ ticket at Rs 7. This facility is not applicable for Pushpak AC buses.

• The APSRTC is going to issue tickets in city buses using Ticket Issuing Machines (TIMs) on an experimental basis. TIMs eliminate carrying the tray with bundles of tickets in different denominations. The RTC has started using TIMs in close to 100 city buses in Hyderabad.

Tourists

• According to government’s tourist department, number of foreign tourists visiting Hyderabad dropped by 68% when compared to the number for the same period in 2012.

• Hyderabad along with four cities, namely, Bengaluru, Goa, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram allows getting visa on arrival. The visa-on-arrival is valid for a maximum of 30 days.

Real Estate

• The duty on transfer of property has been fixed at 1.5% in both urban and rural areas. This is applicable within the limits of municipalities (selection and special grade), municipal corporations, and panchayats across the state. The reduced duty on sale deeds came into effect on 1 April 2013.

Electricity

• The Central Power Distribution Company Limited (CPDCL) will be collecting Rs 0.82 paise per unit towards Fuel Surcharge Adjustment (FSA) for the second quarter of 2012-13. Consumers who are utilising 200 units per month will have to pay around Rs 1,000 as monthly bill.

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