VIJAYAWADA:The cash-strapped Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has come in for sharp criticism, especially from the residents of Vijayawada, for purchasing about 300 bougainvillea plants at a cost of Rs 9,000 (including transportation charge) each, as part of improving greenery on central median stretch between Police Control Room Junction and Hotel Taj Gateway, on the Mahatma Gandhi Road.
On the whole, the horticulture department has spent Rs 27 lakh on the bougainvillea plants, which were brought to the city from a nursery at New Delhi. This act of the civic authorities has left many residents surprised as they think focusing on re-carpeting the damaged roads and improving the underground drainage facility in the city are more important than spending lavishly on improving greenery.
“This is not the first time, the civic body has purchased plants at an exorbitant price for improving greenery on the dividers. There have been several cases where the horticulture department has paid more money to agencies for supplying such items,’’ alleged V Sambi Reddy, president of Taxpayers’ Association.
He also wanted to know why the VMC officials had purchased the bougainvillea plants, which does not have any pollutant absorption quality and that too by spending Rs 27 lakh for just 300 plants? He suggested that VMC plant neem trees instead of bougainvillea, as such trees will help bring down the level of pollution and at the same time improve the city’s green cover. The civic body officials should first accord priority on re-carpeting the roads rather than on improving the greenery in the central medians, said K Supraja, a resident.
Speaking to TNIE on Wednesday, VMC assistant director of Horticulture Pradeep Kumar said that VMC had purchased the bougainvillea plants to add beauty to the Mahatma Gandhi Road through which people’s representatives and other VIPs commute, despite those plants being expensive. For instance, municipal authorities in Hyderabad has planted saplings worth Rs 30,000 a piece, as part of the beautification project. When compared to Hyderabad, the civic body has spent a meagre amount, he said. In all, the VMC has allocated only rupees one crore for greenery maintenance in the total budget.