HYDERABAD: Till December 30, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered 213 cases, including 126 trap cases, 11 related to disproportionate assets (DA) and 76 involving procedural violations linked to departmental inquiries. With over 300 arrests made this year, most of these cases involve government officials, particularly from the Police department.
Speaking to TNIE, ACB Director General (DG) Vijay Kumar said the agency receives an average of 28 to 30 complaints daily and has maintained a conviction rate of 70% in 2024, backed by strong evidence. He noted that a large number involve officials from the Police department, followed by those from Revenue, Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD), Transport, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, and Electricity departments. This is attributed to the nature of these departments, which frequently engage in public dealings, resulting in higher complaint volumes, he noted.
Vijay Kumar, who took charge in September, emphasised the importance of training to enhance the bureau’s functioning.
He said the focus is on intra-departmental training covering government rules, the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), newly inducted BNS and BNSS, internal procedures, handling of DA cases, drafting skills and conducting raids. Newly inducted personnel, he added, are being equipped gradually, with all recruits undergoing one month of initial training followed by an annual week-long refresher programme.
Training in focus
The ACB, with a strength of over 300 personnel, inducted 30 to 40 staff members in 2024, and as a deputation-based organisation, it ensures comprehensive training for all new joiners. The ACB DG also highlighted the agency’s commitment to filing chargesheets for criminal trials backed by substantial evidence, particularly in cases of corruption, DA and other charges. On the reinstatement of officers under suspension, the ACB provides remarks to the departments concerned and takes decision under prescribed government rules.
Some prominent cases unearthed in 2024 include the alleged `700 crore sheep scam, the case against Irrigation Department AEE Herur Nikesh Kumar for DA worth Rs 100 crore and ex-HMDA director Shiva Balakrishna for acquiring assets estimated at Rs 300 crore. Other significant cases include Hyderabad CCS ACP Uma Maheshwar’s DA amounting to Rs 3.4 crore and properties worth Rs 15 crore found during raids at the residence of Tribal Welfare Engineering Department Executive Engineer K Jaga Jyothi.
Accelerating towards green mobility
Sustainability was more than just a buzzword for the Transport department in 2024 — the Electric Vehicle (EV) and vehicle scrapping policies are expected to not only modernise the transport sector but also improve road safety. On November 16, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar unveiled the new EV policy, offering a 100% exemption on road tax and registration fees for all EVs until December 31, 2026. The policy replaced the cap on exemptions, which was limited to the first 5,000 EVs, enabling customers to save anything between Rs 15,000 and Rs 3 lakh in taxes and fees.
Telangana government introduced a vehicle scrapping policy, as part of the Centre’s vehicle fleet modernisation initiative, in October under which non-transport vehicles older than 15 years and transport vehicles over 8 years will be targetted.
Number of vehicles grew by 136.98% increase since June 2, 2014 to 1,69,50,414 (as of October 31
37 Automated Testing Stations (ATS) approved across TG with total budget of Rs 296 crore
As part of digital initiatives, the department’s T-app Folio reached 3,64,040 users by October. It also launched the RTA M-Wallet, which enables digital licences and registration certificates.
Inspection & Certification Centre being set up at Malkapur, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, with Rs 14.4 crore from Centre.
Rejuvenation and opposition
The Congress government launched the Musi Riverfront Development Project to rejuvenate the heavily polluted 55-km Musi River and transform the river and its surroundings into an ecofriendly zone while preserving cultural heritage. However, the first step towards implementing the project the survey of encroachments on the riverbed and catchment areas, was met with stiff resistance from the dwellers.
Soon enough, Opposition parties rushed in, and the government was forced to defend the project. The government offered adequate compensation, alternative dwellings and more, but the resistance has forced the administration to press the pause button, while the DPR for the project is being prepared. Before the politics played out, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy visited London and Seoul to study river management strategies in place for the Thames and Cheonggyecheon. His focus was on governance, stakeholder impacts and restoration.
The MRDP envisages a complete restoration of the river — from the Osmansagar and Himayatsagar — to the confluence at Bapu Ghat. The government has proposed a Rs 4,100 crore loan from the World Bank, with additional funding from the state, private investments, and public-private partnerships.
Hyderabad traffic violations surge despite crackdown
Hyderabad traffic police intensified their efforts to curb road violations in 2024, booking over 52,000 drunk driving cases and conducting awareness campaigns for over 5.3 lakh motorists. However, the city continued to grapple with road accidents.
The city saw an 18.34% rise in drunk driving cases, up from 43,940 registered in 2023. Of the total 52,000, 46,468 chargesheets were filed in court, resulting in 3,633 convictions, slightly lower than the 3,882 convictions recorded in the previous year.
The issue of underage driving also drew greater attention in 2024, with 2,976 cases registered — a sharp rise from the 1,878 cases in 2023. This led to 2,153 convictions, compared to 1,615 the year prior. A police officer said several cases are still pending in court, while others have been resolved through the Lok Adalat. Road safety statistics painted a grim picture, with 3,065 injuries and 227 fatalities reported in road accidents across Hyderabad in 2024. As part of their efforts to combat drunk driving, the traffic police conducted counselling sessions for over 5.3 lakh motorists caught violating the rules. Despite sustained helmet awareness campaigns, helmet rule violations surged significantly, with 22.74 lakh cases recorded in 2024 compared to 19.29 lakh in 2023.
Big year for sportspersons from TG
With renewed interest in chess across India in 2024, it was a transformative year for India’s number 1 player Arjun Erigaisi as he went on to defeat the present world no. 4, Russian GM Dmitry Andreikin, in October and reached 2802.1 in ratings. With this, the 21-year-old from Warangal became the 16th player in history to be part of the rare club and the only Indian player after Vishwanathan Anand to cross the mark. He also managed two bag two gold medals at the Olympiad. But, despite his high ranking, he received limited invites to elite events and had to rough it out in open tournaments.
T20 World Cup Winner Mohd Siraj was given a hero’s welcome, apart from being rewarded by the state, for his role in India winning the coveted tournament. In September, 21-year-old Deepthi Jeevanji, who also hails from Warangal, won a bronze medal in the women’s 400m T20 category at the Paralympics. From being called names in her childhood, she has gone on to become a source of pride for the state. Additionally, ace shuttler PV Sindhu married the executive director of an IT firm, Venkata Datta Sai, in a picturesque wedding in Rajasthan’s Udaipur.
Year of investments
The year that just passed by saw the ITE&C and Industries & Commerce departments securing investments worth Rs 43,412 crore from nearly 150 Indian and global companies. While multiple companies announced their expansion plans, several others started executing such plans and some even began production work.
These include Sanofi, BMS and Providence. These investments are expected to create over 51,086 direct and 1.50 lakh indirect jobs. In the New Year, according to IT & Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu, the focus will be on integrating AI into the life sciences sector and on how to revolutionise healthcare. The state government is in the process of drafting a life sciences policy with which it aims to allocate land and provide incentives for companies willing to start operations in Telangana.
Major investments
KrKA and Laurus Labs -- Rs 2,000 crore investment to establish pharmaceutical, bio-pharmaceutical manufacturing units in Genome Valley with Laurus Labs - R&D centre worth Rs 250 crore. Both investments to create 2,800 jobs.
Japan’s Takeda Life Sciences and Hyderabad-based Biological E to produce five crore doses of dengue vaccines annually for global distribution
Announcements
To enhance internet connectivity in remote areas, T-Fiber portal was unveiled to enable government users to place orders. A PoC was demonstrated in three villages
Students served worms, lizards and neglect in 2024
2024 brought the grim reality of food poisoning in government schools to the forefront, forcing a critical examination of our priorities. A cascade of food poisoning incidents, culminating in two deaths, laid bare the systemic negligence that served students lizards, worms and a whole lot of apathy. In November, the issue hit the nadir when 16-year-old C Shailaja succumbed after weeks of battling for life. She was among 65 students who fell ill in October at the Tribal Welfare Residential School in Wankidi after consuming hostel food.
In April, the death of a 12-year-old boy, Ch Prashanth, at the Social Welfare Boys’ Residential School in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district highlighted the gravity of the issue, as 15 students from the school also fell sick. This galvanised the state government into action.
With the chief minister, who also oversees the Education department, stepping in, steps were taken to prevent further tragedies. Among these was a 40% increase in mess charges, a demand pending for over eight years, and the introduction of a monthly food menu and Standard Operating Procedure for residential schools. To ensure food safety across state institutions, a three-member Task Force Committee was set up. The Opposition did not hold back and attacked the government on the issue
HYDRAA forced into a shell
HYDRAA, the brainchild of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, set out on its stated task of reclaiming encroached lakebeds and catchment areas with a bang, targeting biggies like the N-Convention and sending notices to even the chief minister’s brother. However, allegations that the agency softened its stance against the bigshots while being ruthless on the middle classes followed.
Reports of a family distraught over the demolition of the home in Ameenpur just a week after the housewarming ceremony added to the criticism. The Telangana High Court too ticked off HYDRAA for its adventurism. The agency had to issue multiple clarifications that it would not demolish residential quarters built on FTLs and riverbeds, but would not spare commercial entities that have encroached water bodies. So far, the agency has reclaimed about 200 acres, taking action on encroachments on 12 water bodies, eight parks and four government lands.