The Hindu 06.10.2010
A peep into 5-year term of VMC
G.V.R. Subba Rao
Congress receives kudos for housing projects taken up during the period
VIJAYAWADA: The tenure of the present elected body of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is all set to come to an end by sunset on Wednesday. From October 7, 2005, the corporation has been a venue for electrified dramas, heated arguments, switching over of loyalties, grand budgets, ambitious plans and projects, criticism and kudos alike, State government annulling the several resolutions passed by the general body and so on.
Among the highlights of the five-year term of the elected body, sanction of projects worth Rs.1,450 crore under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and sanction of 29,000 houses to urban poor in the city figure at the top. The other side of the coin has a bitter tale to tell. The corporation is unable to mobilise resources to contribute its 30 per cent share of funding in the JNNURM projects, and is mortgaging its properties for taking loans to the tune of more than Rs.200 crores.
The Congress received kudos for housing projects though a major chunk is still under progress. Till now, only 5,000 houses have been allotted, and another 10,000 are expected to be ready by December. Likewise, water meters, user charges for lifting of garbage, inordinate delay in payment of salaries to employees and workers, steep hike in property tax, Building Penalisation Scheme (BPS), Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) and inundation of One Town area were a few issues that attracted the criticism from all walks of life.
“Our administration during the last five years is a success. JNNURM, Rajiv Awas Yojna, plans to curb open defecation and the BRTS are a few to mention. But the most satisfactory aspect of this body is the 100 per cent coverage of underground drainage and water supply,” says senior Congress Corporator Samanthapudi Narasraju.
Grand budgets
The State government annulled the VMC’s opposition to development of land at Brindavan Colony in Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis, water meters and levy of user charges on garbage. The grand budgets presented by the Congress have been criticised as a mockery of the exercise of budgeting itself. For, budgets with a total outlay of Rs. 5,360 crores were presented, but only Rs. 1,225 crores was actually spent. The total amount of taxes rose to Rs.88 crores in 2009-10 from Rs. 49 crores in 2005-06, points out CPI (M) floor leader Ch. Babu Rao.
Tadi Sakuntala, Mallika Begum and M.V. Ratna Bindu shared the honours of being the ‘first ladies’ of the city, assisted by Ch. Krishna Kumar, Anne Prasanna, Mr. Narasaraju and S.P. Gritton. The reigns of executive power were wielded by Natarajan Gulzar, P.S. Pradyumna and G. Ravi Babu.
