CPI, CPM activists burn GO copies on water charges

Vijayawada: The activists of the two Left Parties Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of Marxist (CPM) staged protest against water charges and burnt the copies of the Government Order at Lenin Centre here on Friday. They raised slogans against the government and officials of the Municipal Corporation.

Speaking on the occasion, CPI and CPM city secretaries Donepudi Shankar and Ch Babu Rao warned the officials of the Municipal Corporation they would intensify the agitation, if the water charges were not withdrawn.A They said that the Corporation move was against the Constitution and asked to withdraw water and underground drainage charges. They wondered how the government was selling the water to citizens even though the city was on the river bank.

They feared that the government was ready to impose additional burden of Rs 69 crore in the form of property tax while the people were overburdened with water charges. They criticised the officials for not getting funds from the State government.

CPI leaders G Koteswara Rao, Palla Surya Rao, V Nageswara Rao, Navaneetam Sambasiva Rao, L Durga Rao, N Seetha Ramaiah, Izzada Appala Naidu, Lakshmi, P Durgamba and CPM leaders M Venkateswara Rao and B Nageswara Rao were also present.

Tax payers demand

The Vijayawada Tax Payers Association president and secretary V Sambi Reddy and MV Anjaneyulu respectively demanded the special officer of the Municipal Corporation to withdraw water charges immediately.A Speaking to the media here on Friday, they questioned the officials for taking decision on water charges in the absence of election council. They said that the officials should have announced the policy decision like the one on water meters after discussing with the peoples' representatives.

They took strong exception to the attitude of the government in imposing water charges on people instead of demanding pending funds and grants due from the State government. The State government should dovetail funds to all local bodies, they said and demanded details of funds due to the civic body from the State Government.

They also asked the Special Officer and other local body officials to announce the efforts made by them to get the pending funds from the government. They wondered how the Corporation officials have initiated water charges linking it with house tax. They also questioned the rationale in linking house and the water charges. They feared that people were in for another dose of hike in water taxes as the corporation was proposing hike in house tax soon.