VIJAYAWADA: The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation Council meeting witnessed a heated debate on the stray dog menace in the city, where corporators of both the ruling YSRC and opposition parties, including TDP raised the issue. Further, the opposition party corporators raised the issue of damaged roads and drains due to rain, stating that it has been causing severe inconvenience to the people in the city.
Vijayawada Municipal Corporation general meeting, which began on Monday morning under the chairmanship of Mayor Rayana Bhagyalakshmi, has discussed several plaguing issues that were included in the agenda. During the meeting, the corporators raised the problem of stray dogs and urged the commissioner to take adequate measures to curb the issue.
The debate on the stray dog menace began when the officials proposed a Memorandum of Understanding with a private organisation to implement vaccination at a cost of Rs 1,350 each for 12,000 stray dogs in the city, which amounts to a total of Rs 1.62 crore. However, the opposition members objected to the proposal, even though the authorities mentioned that the complaints of stray dogs are increasing across the city.
Speaking to TNIE, Boya Satya Babu said that the officials have to conduct an enumeration of the population of stray and pet dogs regularly and the staff of family planning for dogs should be increased. He alleged that earlier, VMC granted Rs 2 crore for the family planning of stray dogs but it was not implemented.
Among the important proposals listed on the agenda, council member Nellibandla Bala Swami (TDP floor leader) proposed BT road in the 23 division, Ummidi Venkateswara Rao proposed to release the retirement benefits for those employees who served VMC. He also proposed a statue of the famous film artist late Akkineni Nageswara Rao on the premises of Tummalapalli vaari Kshetrayya Kalakshetram.
Corporator Isararapu Devi proposed underground drainage (UGD) and an underground way bridge in the 7th division. Viyyapu Amarnath proposed for UGD, CC road and a new water tank in the 6th division. Kukkala Anitha proposed for UGD in the 24th division and also a divider on the road approach from Pushpa Hotel to the main road in the same division. Boya Satya Babu proposed the regularisation of outsourced employees working in VMC following the orders of the government.MLAs Vellampalli Srinivasa Rao and Malladi Vishnu attended the meeting as ex-officio members.
Against garbage tax
The members brought before the council’s notice to entrust the management of the slaughterhouse to private individuals. They raised their voices against burdening people through garbage tax