Cops foil CPI’s bid to picket civic office

Vijayawada: Mild tension prevailed at the CPI office as police stopped hundreds of party leaders and workers who tried to take out a rally to the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation office to stage a demonstration in against the malfunctioning of corporation and failed to address the public and civic issues, here on Friday. The leaders planned to lay siege to the Corporation office.

Addressing the media, CPI city secretary Donepudi Sankar said that the civic body failed miserably to solve the problems of people and civic issues. He came down heavily on the police for overreacting to the situation and for not allowing people to express their dissent democratically.

“They are not permitting us and trying to stifle our voice,”he said. He said the recent padayatra for 25 days in all the wards brought to fore several loopholes in the 'Houses for All' scheme, patta registrations, sanitation issues, drinking water, sewerage, drainage problems and the poor condition of roads.

He alleged that the housing scheme was meant for the MLAs, their henchmen and TDP sympathisers. He added the cabinet sub-committee has approved the implementation of 010 Head Account, paving way for the State government to pay salaries to Vijayawada Municipal Corporation staff. "With this move, the corporation is saving Rs 200 crore and the credit should go to the CPI as it had been fighting for many years on the issue," he added.