Vijayawada Municipal Corporation privatises its function halls

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.