The Hindu 06.02.2010
Water meters continue to haunt the VMC meet
Staff Reporter
| Left parties’ corporators demand fresh resolution |
Prolonged discussion over various issues
Newly laid road to be named after YSR
VIJAYAWADA: The issue of fixing of meters to domestic drinking water connections in the city rocked the general body meeting of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) for the second consecutive day on Friday. Though Mayor M.V. Ratna Bindu adjourned the meeting with a ruling over the issue on Thursday night, corporators of the Left parties, who displayed banners and placards with slogans against the proposed metering of water supply, contended that a fresh discussion was needed.
While opposing the proposal, corporators of the ruling Congress went on an offensive and demanded their Left and TDP colleagues to remove the banners from the meeting hall. With the other side not conceding to the demand, pandemonium prevailed for about half-an-hour over the issue. Despite several appeals made by Deputy Mayor S.P. Gritton, who chaired the meeting in the absence of Mayor M.V. Ratna Bindu, corporators of neither the Left parties nor the Congress relented.
Irked by the developments, a visibly shaken Mr. Gritton announced loudly that the officials were not supposed to fix the meters without the knowledge of the general body. If the officials take any step keeping the general body in dark, legal action would be initiated against the officials, he threatened.
Trouble continued even after tea break, with the Left parties’ corporators demanding fresh resolution and Congress corporators vehemently opposing it.
A prolonged discussion took place over various other issues, including the construction of community toilets and development of a link road between old Excel plant and sewage treatment plant. CPI (M) floor leader Ch. Babu Rao, corporator Donepudi Kasinath and CPI floor leader Donepudi Sankar spoke at length over the problems.
Though Mr. Gritton tried to cut short the speeches of corporators on several occasions, his efforts proved futile. A remark by Telugu Desam Party floor leader Y.V. Ramana Rao that Ms. Ratna Bindu “escaped” from the meeting triggered a strong reaction from all corporators of the Congress. They stalled the proceedings for 10 minutes and made Mr. Gritton announce that the comment would be removed from the records.
The general body agreed to name the newly laid 120-ft. road near Pipula road after former Chief Minister late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.
