VIJAYAWADA: Cases pertaining to Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) at various legal bodies has become a major drawback for the civic body to augment revenue from various sources. For instance, the gravity of the cases is such that former municipal commissioner and present Anantapur District Collector G Veerapandian has attended a hearing in a local court for a case filed during the Krishna Pushkaralu in the previous year.
In this regard, City Mayor Koneru Sreedhar and Municipal Corporation Commissioner J Nivas conducted a twoday legal workshop with all department officials to discuss the future of course of action to be followed. According to the information available with VMC officials, a total of 781 cases are pending with different legal bodies. Of them, 394 cases are registered against the Town Planning department, followed by Revenue (184), Public Health (91), Estate (54), Engineering (38), Administration (14) and Education (6). In the meeting, officials informed that a majority of the cases have been registered against the town planning department after the demolition of religious structures for executing development works during the Krishna Pushkaralu.
The officials also demolished hundreds of houses on the banks of river Krishna to develop bathing ghats for the convenience of the pilgrims.
VMC has failed to provide alternate housing for the people who lost their houses during the river fete. As many as 75 cases alone have been filed by the residents of Krishna Lanka against VMC. After examining the cases, the courts directed town planner Lakshman Rao and
estate department officials to give an explanation for the delay. With this, officials are engaged in preparing a detailed report of the victims who should be provided housing facility in the city.
‘’Lakhs of rupees are being spent over the cases. It’s a huge loss to the corporation.
There was no clarity on how many cases came for hearing to the courts everyday.
Are the advocates attending the cases in High Court?” questioned YSR Congress Party VMC floor leader B Punyaseela.
At least now, the civic body officials should focus on resolving the cases at legal bodies as it is losing crores of revenue from various sources, she added.
When contacted, Mayor Koneru Sreedhar said since a year, 100 cases have emerged in the city. It’s an insult to VMC.
He took a dig at the legal cell officials for showing apathy to the pending cases. A letter would be written to principal secretary and Municipal administration Minister P Narayana. The pending cases list has already been sent to the State Government.
Officials concerned have been directed to conduct everyday review meetings for quick addressal of the pending cases