GMC council meeting turns acrimonious

Guntur: The GMC council meeting held on Saturday was marked by heated exchanges. Guntur Municipal Corporation Commissioner Puli Srinivasulu abruptly hurled the mike and left the meeting after a confrontation with YSRCP corporators and Deputy Mayor Vanama Bala Vajra Babu.

Deputy Mayor Babu questioned why the GMC had withdrawn Rs 40 crore on administrative grounds between 2014 and 2019, demanding clarification on the officials’ statements.

When the officials failed to respond, he accused them of disrespecting the council and became embroiled in an argument with Commissioner Puli Srinivasulu.

In response, Puli Srinivasulu stated that the agenda was prepared with his consent and that he was responsible for it. Babu made derogatory remarks about Srinivasulu, which the commissioner took as an affront. In frustration, he threw the mike and exited the council hall.

Following this incident, Mayor Kavati Siva Naga Manohar Naidu adjourned the meeting temporarily. Meanwhile, GMC employees gathered outside the council hall, demanding that Deputy Mayor Babu apologise to Puli Srinivasulu immediately.

When the council reconvened, TDP corporators criticised the YSRCP members and subsequently left the meeting. Later, addressing the media, Commissioner Puli Srinivasulu alleged that Deputy Mayor Babu had spoken very rudely during the council proceedings. He said that he had already informed district collector S Nagalakshmi and would be filing a complaint with the government over Babu’s behavior.