Opposition targets TRS for incomplete nala works at GHMC council meet

HYDERABAD: Disruptions caused by multiple protests by Opposition corporators marred the GHMC’s council meeting on Tuesday.

Several corporators raised questions regarding fish markets and the lack of progress of the Strategic Nala Development Programme (SNDP) works. In some cases, they said work on nalas had been stalled for about three to four years, causing problems to residents in the localities.

The four BJP corporators who had recently joined the TRS were welcomed by the ruling party, but the BJP corporators objected and began demonstrating against the defection by encircling the mayor's podium. Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi repeatedly asked them to return to their seats, but they refused. The Mayor adjourned the meeting for half-an-hour.

When the session resumed, Congress corporator from Khairatabad P. Vijaya Reddy, who had switched over from the TRS three months ago, went up to the Mayor’s podium and demanded that she be given an opportunity to speak on pending contractors’ bills.

Outside, several contractors tried to storm the GHMC head office in protest against unpaid bills, but were prevented by the police. The police then arrested them as they began to demonstrate in front of the Ambedkar statue at Tank Bund. The contractors claimed that the GHMC owes them Rs 800 crore in unpaid bills. Later, three Congress corporators protested against the unpaid bills by holding placards.