Mayor seeks release of pending grants

Mayor seeks release of pending grants
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Highlights

The Municipal Corporation, which had played pivotal role in the successful conduct of Krishna Pushkaralu 2016, is struggling to get pending grants from the State government.  

Vijayawada: The Municipal Corporation, which had played pivotal role in the successful conduct of Krishna Pushkaralu 2016, is struggling to get pending grants from the State government.

The civic body had spent more than Rs 70 crore for development works particularly widening of roads, construction of side drains, development of parks and infrastructure facilities before Krishna Pushkaralu. Lakhs of devotees came to the city during Pushkaralu and praised the VMC and State government for hosting the event in a successful manner.

Though the State government promised to give Rs 73 crore for hosting the event, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) failed to get the amount. On several occasions, Mayor Koneru Sridhar met the minister for municipal administration and urban development P Narayana and the Principal Secretary, department of municipal administration Karikala Valavan, requesting the latter to release the pending grants but in vain.
The Mayor along with VMC officials once again met the minister P Narayana and Principal Secretary Karikala Valavan at the Secretariat on Tuesday and submitted a representation requesting the latter to release the pending grants.

The VMC is yet to get beneficiary contribution of Rs 17.69 crore from the State government for completing the JNNURM houses and other pending works before Krishna Pushkaralu. As part of execution of Krishna Pushkaralu works, the civic body had removed some encroachments in different parts of the city for widening of roads and allotted houses to evacuees under the JNNURM. The VMC had also appealed to the government to release Rs 17.69 crore as it is not able to meet the growing expenses after Vijayawada became capital of the state in 2014.

The VMC is spending more than Rs 100 crore for sanitation and lifting of garbage every year. Besides, the civic body is spending crores of rupees for payment of salaries. In addition to it, the VMC is spending crores of rupees for development of infrastructure facilities on the outskirts of the city and developing colonies. Mayor Sridhar has explained the problems being faced by the VMC and requested the government to release the pending grants as early as possible.

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