The Hindu                     22.03.2013

Left parties’ signature campaign against water meters

Staff Reporter 

The Left parties alleged that the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) was treating the water supply as a money spinner.

The CPI and CPI(M) conducted a signature campaign against water meters and tariff hike near NTR circle here on Thursday. On the occasion, CPI city secretary Donepudi Sankar and CPI (M) city secretary Ch. Babu Rao pointed that the Corporation was under special officer rule for the last two and half years. Though elections have to be conducted within six months after the expiry of the council term, the government was dilly dallying the matter. The Corporation under the special rule was taking the decisions which were burden on the people. The decision to hike water charges was one of the major anti-people decisions, they felt.

The people were already overburdened with heavy taxes and steep rise in prices of essential commodities. The Corporation, at this juncture, was poised to hike the water tariff much to the agony of the people. The State government has wicked plans to introduce water meters and loot the people at its will. The government has already hiked the power charges and LPG gas charges, they pointed out.

It was unfortunate that the VMC was planning to introduce a single tariff of Rs. 175 to every category. Lakhs of poor would suffer if the Rs. 50 category was withdrawn. The Corporation instead of augmenting the water supply for ensuing summer, has chalked out plans to increase the tariff.

The Hindu                     22.03.2013

Municipal corporation readies action plan for summer

Special Correspondent

Corporation to re-lay roads, de-silt drains and ensure water supply to far flung areas.

With the onset of summer, the GHMC has readied an action plan to re-lay fresh bitumen layers in parts of the capital, take up dredging of storm water drains and also provide free water supply to a few far flung areas of the suburbs.

Commissioner M.T. Krishna Babu told presspersons that tenders for 333 road works at an estimated cost of Rs. 40.11 crore are being finalised and will be grounded soon. About Rs. 30 crore worth of 280 road works in different areas have been completed recently.

Tenders for the annual de-silting or dredging exercise of the storm water drains or ‘nalas’ crisscrossing the twin cities will also commence soon with 230 of the 293 works finalised, at a total estimated cost of Rs.16.86 crore.

The Commissioner affirmed that the cost of the storm drain de-silting works in the North and South Zones also include provision for transporting the dredged silt to Jawaharnagar and it was made clear to the contractors.

A sum of Rs.13.79 crore has been sanctioned for 390 additional power bores and 50 more tanker trips in the suburbs which were part of the erstwhile municipalities. There are already 2,394 borewells functioning in these areas as also 155 tankers. He clarified that the free supply was meant for these pre-designated areas only and citizens within the core city will have to call the Water Board for any tankers.