GVMC council approves Rs 4,300 cr annual budget

Visakhapatnam: Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has estimated a budget of Rs 4,300 crore for the year 2023-2024 and approved it in the council meeting. Held under the chairmanship of Mayor G Hari Venkata Kumari, a special budget meeting was organised in the council hall here on Saturday. After an exchange of heated arguments between the ruling party and Opposition, the council approved the estimated budget to the tune of Rs 4,300 crore.

However, the TDP, BJP and Jana Sena Party corporators expressed ire that there is no development in their wards. They opined that no infrastructure was developed in their wards and there was no allocation of funds towards the same. The YSRCP floor leader Banala Srinivasa Rao stated that the future would be bright for the city and added that Visakhapatnam is going to witness development like never before.

GVMC CPM corporator B Ganga Rao expressed his anger over the budget and stated that it was nothing but a number game. He pointed out that the budget presented now was the same as presented two years back, changing the revenue and expenditure figures. TDP floor leader Peela Srinivasa Rao questioned in the council that Rs 1.5 crore allotted earlier was not given completely and wondered how the budget was charted out when no work was done.

While co-option members Behara Bhaskara Rao and corporator Kampa Hanoku were speaking about politics in the house, the Opposition members raised objections and advised them to refrain from such discussions in the council. Meanwhile, members of the ruling party appreciated the budget as the Opposition rejected it. The Opposition corporators demanded that at least 10 people should be appointed in each ward for the maintenance of sanitation works and funds should be allocated for it in the budget. TDP corporators alleged that the GVMC officials turned a blind eye to the ground issues and real situation in the wards and failed to discuss the budget allocation with the corporators. Bheemunipatnam MLA M Srinivasa Rao, GVMC Commissioner P. Raja Babu, officers and staff were present.