Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation Council meeting witnesses heated exchanges

Visakhapatnam: Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) council meeting witnessed heated arguments between the ruling party and Opposition on various public issues here on Wednesday. The corporators from the Jana Sena, TDP, Left and BJP pointed out a majority of proposals introduced in the council and called for a debate. Even though the Opposition corporators demanded debate on agenda points, Mayor G Hari Venkata Kumari approved proposals with the support of the YSRCP members.

Opposition members, including MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu and TDP members Peela Srinivasa Rao, Gandham Srinivasa Rao and Palla Srinu questioned the unilateral approval for the purchase of drones with funds to the tune of Rs 2.7 crore for land survey under Jagananna Saswata Bhuhakku programme. The Opposition members reminded that development is not just for the areas where the ruling party corporators are present. They pointed out that a major locality like Gajuwaka has been neglected for years and needs attention. They said that in these two years, not a single light was installed in their area, even if there was space, they could not develop at least a park or a sports stadium.

Meanwhile, GVMC Commissioner P Raja Babu explained the development works related to the G20 Summit. Co-option member K Prabhavathi and Bheemunipatnam zone corporators raised objections over the development in their region. No work was allotted to their region for the past few years. The GVMC officials explained that central lighting works would be done in Bheemili as a part of G20 works.

Similarly, there was a debate between the ruling party and the Opposition on streetlight arrangements. TDP corporators objected when the officials said that they are sanctioning a 1, 000 new streetlights and pointed out that they will be insufficient for their wards. 39th Ward corporator Mohammed Sadiq said that during Coronavirus pandemic, burying dead bodies with plastic covers at the graveyard pose a risk as the covers were non-biodegradable and the bodies take a longer time to decompose. He requested for a technical solution to resolve the same.

Meanwhile, the proposal to handover Poorna market development works to the private sector in the PPP method had been withdrawn. Except for this, the rest of the points were approved in the agenda.