NO QUORUM: Empty seats greet Mayor Tadi Sakuntala at the special meeting of the VMC on Monday. -- PHOTO: CH. VIJAYA BHASKAR

VIJAYAWADA: A special meeting of the Municipal Corporation's general body convened to discuss the controversial city development plan (CDP), proposed to procure funds under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), was indefinitely postponed for want of quorum here on Monday.

Mayor Tadi Sakuntala, deputy mayor Ch. Krishna Kumar, Congress floor leader Kunuku Rajasekhar, Communist Party of India (CPI) floor leader P. Gowtham Reddy and all corporators of Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) including floor leader Ch.Babu Rao were present. Twenty-seven Congress, 10 TDP, 7 CPI and three independent corporators were conspicuous by their absence.

Corporators absent

Congress and CPI floor leaders said that their respective corporators were not able to attend as they were all assigned duties by the parties on the last day of campaigning for the Zilla Parishad elections. While a quorum of 15 corporators was required for holding the meeting, there were only 12 corporators (including the Mayor) present.

The Mayor said that one-fourth the total number of elected members should be present to form a quorum. Since there was no quorum the meeting had to be cancelled but she would postpone the meeting for a later date owing to the importance of the subject slated for discussion.

Later, CPI-M floor leader Mr. Babu Rao, addressing a press conference, said that several Congress corporators were present in the party chambers but preferred to stay away from the meeting with a premeditated intention of having the meeting cancelled.

Adjourned again

The general body was adjourned due to lack of quorum for the second time on Monday afternoon.

Deputy mayor Krishna Kumar, who conducted the proceedings for 15 minutes, adjourned the House citing lack of quorum as reason. CPI floor leader Ch. Babu Rao blamed the major political parties. "This is against the spirit of democracy. The members while abstaining from the general body meeting should give leave letter to the presiding officer, which they failed to do. There are many issues concerning general public and development of the city," he opined.

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