Vijayawada: The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation has decided to privatise community halls owned and maintained by it in the city.

The
decision has been taken to generate more revenue from the about 15
halls located in different parts of the city built to serve the needs of
the people.

The engineering department of the VMC maintains these halls and collects fee from the public for using them.

The VMC has appointed staff to run these halls and pays their salaries every month.

To implement its privatisation decision, the VMC will conduct open auctions where the highest bidders will be given the lease.

The
minimum upset price will be fixed. The civic authorities will also fix
the rent of the halls, based on their size and facilities available.

K.
Sivaiah, estate officer of the VMC said that the corporation will keep a
strict vigil on the lease holders to ensure that they do not charge the
people more than the prescribed fee for using the community hall.

Responding
to apprehensions raised by the people that there was a possibility of
collecting fee in excess of that fixed by the VMC or that the community
halls may be misused, Sivaiah said that the contract can be terminated
if the people lodge a complaint with the civic body.

The VMC has built many offices, schools, parks, community halls, reading rooms etc in the city.

Earlier,
proposals have been made for privatisation of parks, and even
discussions had been going on, but no decision has been taken yet.