Vijayawada: Citizens' federation demands withdrawal of orders

Vijayawada: Taking strong exception to the issue of the government order to collect garbage collection charges at the rate of Rs 3 per day in municipal corporations, convener of AP Urban Citizens Federation (APUCF) Babu Rao here on Thursday demanded that the Chief Minister withdraw the orders immediately. According to him, the new garbage charges amounts to Rs 1,100 per annum, Rs 2 per day in the special grade municipalities which amounts to Rs 730 per annum and Rs1 in the grade 1,2,3 municipalities which amounts to Rs 365 per annum.

Though it is laudable to deploy additional vehicles for the maintenance of sanitation and collection of garbage from every household, it is highly objectionable to collect garbage collection charge, which is unprecedented, he said.

He recalled that the people recently gave thumping majority to the YSRCP in the municipal elections. People expect the elected council to provide good civic services who are yet to take charge in the towns and cities. "Let the urban bodies convene and take the decisions for serving the people. Instead, the government issued orders setting aside the elected councils which is nothing but suppressing the self-determination right of the elected bodies," he said.

Babu Rao said that the civic services should not be changed as trading commodities and imposing additional charges on people is betraying the mandate given by people. He demanded the government to immediately withdraw the orders on the garbage collection charges.