Vijayawada: VMC retracts on water meters to households
CPM activists led by party leader Ch Babu Rao displaying the removed water meters at the 29th division in Vijayawada on Saturday
Vijayawada: Following hue and cry over the installation of water meters to the households in the 29th division, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation retracted and removed them, said CPM state executive member Ch Babu Rao.
However, there is every danger of reinstallation of water meters after the Assembly elections and people should be ready to resist the move, he warned the citizens.
It may be recalled that the municipal corporation installed the water meters to the houses in 29th division and the CPM and people revolted against and launched an agitation for their removal. Following the agitation by the CPM, the municipal officials removed the water meters but left them in the premises of the houses.
Addressing the people in the division, Babu Rao said that the water supply had been inadequate for the last one month, the roads were badly damaged and garbage tax, property tax and other taxes were increased. People complained that the sanitation was poor due to the heavy rains.
Babu Rao assured them that the CPM would fight tooth and nail against the water meters, garbage tax, property tax, drainage tax and others and a massive agitation would be launched throughout the State. “The removal of water meters was the victory of people who raised their voice against them.”
He appealed to people to support the CPM in the coming days to fight for the problems of people.
The water meter connections were removed but the municipal officials left them at the houses and there is every danger that they would be reinstalled after elections. The people’s representatives, the Mayor and the corporators should be held responsible for the installation of meters. Earlier, also the then government tried to install water meters but retracted due to the opposition by the Left parties.
CPM central city committee secretary Bhupati Ramana Rao, CPM leaders P Krishna Murthy, Y Krishnaiah, B Chinna, Y Murali, Ch Ramu, Satyanarayana, Sai, local residents Ravi Kumar, Srivalli, Satyanarayana, Lalita and others were present.