Vijayawada: VMC debates erection of statues

Vijayawada: The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation Council meeting was held here on Tuesday and Mayor Rayana Bhagya Lakshmi chaired the council meeting.

YSRCP floor leader and 18th division corporator Venkata Satya Narayana along with the mayor did not allow the Opposition TDP and CPM corporators to raise their voice against the listed issues of the agenda.

The floor leader went ahead by just mentioning the items of the agenda and did not even read out the issues of the agenda. The corporators including ruling YSRCP expressed ire over this.

MLA Malladi Vishnu who participated in the meeting along with another MLA V Srinivasa Rao insisted on explaining the agenda issue clearly by reading out but, the floor leader ignored the issue.

As many as 130 issues including additional issues have been brought before the council for discussion. The corporators requested for installation of prominent persons’ statues in the corporation limits, mainly at the parks.

YSRCP Corporator Venkata Satya Narayana asked for installation of statue of cine hero ‘Superstar’ Krishna at a park located in Sri Kanaka Durga Gazetted Officers colony.

Some of the YSRCP, TDP and CPI corporators asked town planning department whether there was a possibility to install statues in the public places and parks.

Responding to this, the city planner said that as per the Supreme Court guidelines and the State government GOs there is no provision of establishing statues in the public places and parks etc.,

MLA Malladi Vishnu questioned the city planner on the statues which are already set up in the city. The Mayor also said that there is no place to install new statues at the Tummalapalli Kalakshetram.

Many corporators including TDP raised issues of sanitation and working style of sanitation workers. They said that sanitation workers do not come regularly and many of them are absent from duties. VMC Commissioner Swapnil Dinakar Pundkar said that they are mulling to replace 150 sanitation workers and added that the workers were striving hard to clean the city.

The civic chief presented the issue of development at Gandhi hill before the council and said that if the council gives its nod, the proposal will be sent to the District Committee.