CPI corporator opposes study tour of GVMC

Visakhapatnam: CPI Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) floor leader B Ganga Rao said the CPI is strongly opposing the study tour of corporators initiated by the ruling party members in the corporation.

Speaking to the media in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, the CPI leader opined that it is not appropriate to go on field trips in the garb of study trips, especially when the common man is suffering from the burden of taxes.

He announced that the CPM is boycotting the study tour as it is planned by misusing the public money.

Further, B Ganga Rao said the GVMC increased the property tax based on the value of the property and imposed user charges on garbage. With this, the financial burden has increased among the denizens.

The CPI floor leader said the ruling party members of the GVMC have decided to study the development programmes in the smart cities across the country such as Delhi, Chandigarh, Agra and Shimla from July 29 to August 7. He mentioned that Rs.1.25 lakh is being spent on each corporator for the study trip.

Ganga Rao alleged that the main motive of the trip is to find new ways to impose tax burden on the people. He said after the BJP came to power in Centre, citizen services were privatised in Delhi, Agra, Chandigarh and Shimla. Authorities are preparing to implement the same in the GVMC as well.

Ganga Rao said that taxes have already increased heavily in Visakhapatnam and many continue to face financial difficulties.

The floor leader alleged that all the GVMC funds were being transferred to the Comprehensive Financial Management System (CFMS) by the state government. He said that it has only hindered the development of the corporation. He criticised the ruling party corporators for not even coming forward to pass a resolution in the council to exclude GVMC from CFMS.