Visakhapatnam: Council meeting lays its focus on various issues

Visakhapatnam: Except one, 64 points were discussed at the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) Council meeting and approved by the members of the council in Visakhapatnam.

After a gap of three months, the council was held at GVMC on Thursday in the new council hall chaired by Mayor Golagani Hari Venkata Kumari.

During the meeting, Municipal Commissioner G Lakshmisha answered the questions raised by the members but some of the members did not agree with his response.

The council meeting witnessed heated arguments between the ruling party and the Opposition on various issues such as CBSE implementation in 10 schools under GVMC, pay hike for sanitation workers, hike in taxes and stray dog menace.

Meanwhile, for the first time, marshals appeared at the GVMC Council. The Mayor proposed to facilitate marshals in the council in the previous meeting to prevent corporators from laying siege to the podium and prevent disputes between the ruling and opposition corporators.

Apart from the sanitation maintenance and shortage of sanitation staff, garbage cess drew the attention of the TDP, Jana Sena and Left party corporators who proposed to lift the same. Members questioned about the condition of the stray dogs in the city, the cost and other required facilities to control them. 31st Ward corporator Bipin Kumar Jain proposed to fix GPS for the canines but the Mayor denied the proposal as it was feasible.

Meanwhile, the ruling party corporators expressed disappointment over the conduct of the council. GVMC Commissioner G Lakshmisha said the proposal for adequate sanitation workers would be taken up.

Some of the ward corporators brought out the issue of lack of safety gear for the sanitation staff.