VIJAYAWADA: Demanding rollback of the hike in water and drainage charges by the Vijayawada municipal corporation (VMC) and also review of the anti-people policies adopted during the special officer rule, the CPI activists staged a dharna in front of the civic body here Wednesday.
Speaking on the occasion, CPI city secretary and former floor leader in the civic body Donepudi Sankar alleged that the VMC’s decision to increase the water and drainage charges by 7 per cent was injustice as it had already imposed huge burden on the people by increasing the charges by 400 per cent recently under the special officer’s rule.
“We hoped that the elected council would revoke the decisions taken by the special officer’s rule, but the TDP that won the mayorship in the civic body has taken an anti-people decision to hike the water charges by 7 per cent even 10 days had not passed since it assumed the office,” he said and added that the water consumers have to bear the additional burden of `2 crore with the latest hike.
The CPI leader also alleged that the elected representatives of the civic body were purchasing new cars and costly mobile phones with the VMC’s funds while the workers were not paid salaries.
Party city assistant secretaries G Koteswara Rao and P Durga Bhavani and several other party leaders participated in the dharna.
TPA Submits Memo to Withdraw rise
Vijayawada: The Tax Payers’ Association (TPA) has demanded that the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) rollback the hike in water and drainage tax, and said that they had submitted memorandums on July 15 to the mayor and deputy mayor on the same. Addressing a press conference here Wednesday, TPA secretary MV Anjaneyulu said that a memorandum was submitted to the mayor and the deputy mayor urging them to withdraw the hike immediately. “Water charges and the drainage tax were hiked during the tenure of the special officer. Instead of reviewing the unreasonable raise, the corporation has increased the taxes further by 7 per cent,” he added. The VMC should spend 40 per cent on the city’s development if the government releases the arrears of grants to it, he said and wanted it to immediately start the flyover works at Benz Circle and Kanaka Durga Temple. Anjaneyulu said that the asset tax amendment made to GHMC Act, 1955, should be abrogated and suggested that Vijayawada be transformed into a green and solar city.