Municipal budget approved amid pandemonium

Eluru:  The Eluru Municipal Corporation budget approved amid verbal duel between the ruling and opposition party members.

The meeting was held here on Thursday at municipal corporation meeting hall with Mayor Sheikh Noorjahan in the chair.

When the meeting was started, opposition floor leader Bandaru Kiran Kumar raised the issue of sanitation contract workers. He demanded immediate discussion on the problem of 270 contract workers. However, the ruling party members ruled out his demand and stated that the after the approval of the budget, other issues will be taken up for discussion. As the opposition leader demanded immediate discussion, the Municipal Corporation Cooption member and Mayor’s husband SMR Pedababu raised his voice stating that no debate would be allowed in the meeting. 

With this, opposition members Kiran Kumar and Karri Srinivasa Rao tried to give a befitting reply to the cooption member. Following this, TDP corporators Gudavalli Srinivas, Chode Venkata Ratnam, Gudiwada Ramachandra Kishore, Baurothu Balaji, Dakarapu Rajeswara Rao expressed their anger on the opposition members. 

At one stage, pandemonium took place in the meeting hall. The opposition members went into the Mayor’s podium stating that it is unfair on the part of the TDP members not allowing discussion on the fate of 270 sanitary contract workers.   Mayor Sheikh Noorjahan tried to pacify both the groups but in vain.  She told the opposition members that she would give time to discuss after the approval of budget. The YSRCP members objected to the Mayor’s statement. 

The corporation meeting secretary Kumar read out the budget proposals during the verbal duel. Mayor Noorjahan announced that the budget was passed unanimously. Even after the resolution, no discussion was allowed on the sanitary workers by Mayor, and she announced that the meeting was over.

The meeting passed a resolution with Rs 12.13 crore surplus budget. According to the budget proposals, it has estimated that Rs.163.56 crore, including the opening balance of Rs 30.08 crore as income to the corporation. It expected that during 2018-19, the expenses would be Rs.151.51 crore.  The Mayor while addressing the meeting said that soon Smart City works would start in Eluru city.

YSRCP floor leader Bandaru Kiran Kumar alleged that no discussion was allowed even after the proposal of the budget in the meeting.