VMC seeks grant for flood-hit areas

Heated debate: Mayor M.V. Ratna Bindu pleads with corporators of the Opposition parties following the latter’s insistence on a discussion on the Public Private Partnership project issue, during the meeting of the VMC general body in Vijayawada on Friday. Photo: CH Vijaya Bhaskar

The general body of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) on Friday passed a resolution seeking immediate release of grant from the State government for revival of flood-hit areas in the city and to take permanent steps to protect the city from floods in the future.

All the three MLAs of the city - Malladi Vishnu of the Congress, Vellampalli Srinivas and Yelamanchili Ravi of the Praja Rajyam Party - participated in serious discussion that lasted for about two hours.

Corporators of all the political parties lauded the role of the employees of the VMC in providing relief and rehabilitation to the flood victims by responding in time. They also thanked the service organisations for providing a helping hand to the victims.

Donepudi Sankar and Koteswara Rao of the CPI, Donepudi Kasinath and Korada Ramu of the CPI (M), Yerubotu Ramana Rao of the TDP and independent corporator U. Bahadur spoke in detail about the floods. They said there was an immediate need to strengthen the floodbank to prevent inundation of the city in the event of a similar massive flood in the future.

Mr. Vellampalli Srinivas urged the VMC officials to ensure that there were no breaches to the floodbank. He alleged that some people were resorting to breaching of the bund near Bhavanipuram for their business interests. Mr. Yelamanchili Ravi observed that there was a need to strengthen the bund between Geetha Nagar and Ramalingeswara Nagar.

Permanent steps

Mr. Vishnu said there was no dearth of funds to take up permanent measures to strengthen the bund. “Let the general body pass a resolution seeking funds from the government. It is better if an all-party delegation represents the issue to the State government. I am ready to join the delegation,” he said.

A wordy duel between TDP and Congress corporators took place over the issue of helping the flood victims. Mayor M.V. Ratna Bindu and the Congress corporators took strong objection to dragging the name of Lagadapati Rajagopal, MP, into the discussion.

As the members continued to discuss the issue despite several appeals, Ms. Ratna Bindu announced that she was moving the resolution seeking grant from the State government and to take an all-party delegation to Hyderabad to urge the government for the grant.

Earlier in the day, the general body witnessed a prolonged wordy duel, as the corporators of the TDP and the Left parties demanded that the issue of Public Private Partnership (PPP) in Brindavan Colony and the flood issue be discussed first.

The Mayor adjourned the meeting for 10 minutes and announced a change in the order of priority of subjects. Based on the change, the issue of flood was discussed first, which was followed by the underground drainage and PPP.