Stormy scenes mark VMC council’s final day

The corporators took up around 145 civic issues for discussion which turned into heated arguments between them.

Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) corporators discussing on Wednesday. Photo | Express / Prasant Madugula

VIJAYAWADA: The council meeting of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) turned stormy on Wednesday as corporators engaged in heated arguments over civic issues such as mosquito menace, stray dog attacks, drinking water shortages and the renaming of streets in Vijayawada.

The meeting was chaired by Mayor Rayana Bhagya Lakshmi and reportedly it was the final meeting of this Municipal body as the tenure has came to an end.

Around 145 agenda items were taken up for discussion during the meeting and, except for a few, the council approved most of the proposals.

Even before the meeting began, a CPM corporator staged a protest by carrying a mosquito net and raising slogans while entering the council hall.

He demanded immediate steps to tackle the increasing mosquito population, stray dog attacks and drinking water problems in several parts of the city.

During the question hour, corporators belonging to the TDP and CPM criticised the

YSRCP, alleging that the past administration had failed to resolve key municipal issues during its tenure.

Mayor R Bhagyalakshmi at the council meeting;

They pointed out that several reservoir projects meant to address drinking water scarcity in hill areas and other localities remained confined to foundation stones, leaving residents struggling for water supply.

The discussion turned heated over the issue of street name changes and TIDCO housing. Opposition corporators accused the ruling party of focusing more on renaming streets and installing plaques rather than solving public problems.

In response, ruling party corporators questioned whether the previous TDP government regime had provided houses under housing schemes, leading to a verbal clash between both sides.

Corporators from various wards also raised concerns about stray dog attacks, stating that residents were facing difficulties moving freely in some areas. They urged officials to take immediate measures to control the stray dog population.

Despite the heated exchanges, the council completed discussions on most agenda items and approved the majority of the proposals placed before the house.