The Hindu 28.09.2010
Curtains come down on GMC council
Staff Reporter
Guntur: The curtains are set to come down on the five-year old tenure of Guntur Municipal Corporation council and the general body would meet for the last time on Tuesday. The council’s term ends on Wednesday. The period witnessed intense political rivalry with Kanna Nagaraju and Rayapati Mohan Sai Krishna sharing the mayorship.
If it was Mr. Naga Raju who was at the helm of affairs for the first half, Mr. Mohan Sai Krishna headed the political dispensation in the last half.
The period saw three commissioners, two of them IAS officers. Of course, the political dispensation was never comfortable with IAS officers evident in the manner K Ilambarithi was transferred suddenly.
With the council’s term ending on Wednesday, the Government has not made up its mind and might appoint a special officer.
The period was also one of missed opportunities as the GMC failed to tap funds under various Central Government schemes aimed at creating lasting infrastructural facilities, including projects under JNNURM.
The saving grace though is the facelift given to slums under Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme (IHSDP), which was implemented in stages.
The Congress- ruled GMC could also take credit for laying the second water pipeline augmenting the daily average water supply to about 90 mgd.
Action plans
The routine developmental works were carried with general funds, while action plans were drawn to spend funds from the Building Penalisation Scheme (BPS). The Government sanctioned Rs.6.5 crore for laying a pipeline to Auto Nagar. The ruling Congress is banking on some big schemes, including a World Bank approved drinking water project to be taken up with Rs.127 crore.
The Telugu Desam on the other hand, has apparently failed to seize political opportunity and was content with few agitations.
