GUNTUR: YSR Congress, CPM, CPI, Congress leaders staged a protest on Thursday in front of the Guntur Municipal Corporation in protest against the failure of the civic body in preventing outbreak of diarrhoea, which claimed the lives of 12 persons. Guntur (East) YSRCP MLA Md Mustafa alleged that neither GMC officials nor the State government initiated measures to prevent spread of diarrhoea to other areas. Criticising the GMC officials for showing apathy towards civic problems, the MLA said the officials were more interested in collecting bribes from the contractors.
He faulted the Chief Minister for not visiting Guntur at a time when diarrhoea was spiralling out of control and demanded an ex gratia of `5 lakh to each family of the victims. CPM leader and former MLC KS Laxmana Rao demanded a judicial inquiry into the cause of diarrhoea.