Scuffles and Suspensions Mar GVMC Council Meeting

Visakhapatnam: The second day of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) council meeting on Wednesday turned into a zero hour, which enabled corporators belonging to all 98 wards to voice their concerns, shedding light on their areas’ issues.

However, the discussions got marred by heated arguments, scuffles, suspensions, and demands of inquiry into the irregularities committed. In response to the members’ concerns, GVMC commissioner P. Sampath Kumar assured council members that he will write to the state government to investigate the alleged irregularities.

He announced suspension of an officer implicated in an alleged scam.

One of the key issues raised by the corporators related to malfunctioning of street lights across the wards. Ward 10 corporator Rama Lakshmi said if the corporation is so hard pressed for money, it can utilise up to three months’ salaries of the corporators to address the street light problem.

Initially, the zero hour proceeded smoothly until Jana Sena corporator Peethala Murthy Yadav alleged irregularities in GVMC’s butterfly park project initiated by the YSRC government. In response, YSRC floor leader Banala Srinivasa Rao accused Murthy Yadav of having a history of involvement in various cases.

This led to a war of words, with TD, JS and BJP members demanding disciplinary action against the YSRC floor leader.

Various issues raised at the council meeting include construction of retaining walls on hill sides to check landslides, maintenance of culverts and roads to prevent floods, removal of encroachments on water bodies, ensuring reliable drinking water supply, and proper maintenance of burial grounds.

The council meeting continued until 8:15 p.m., with members of all 98 wards raising their issues.