The newly elected corporators sought an inquiry into the alleged irregularities by former corporators, particularly in the urban housing scheme of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation, where many people were allegedly forced to pay more than the required amount.
The first municipal council meeting was held here on Saturday.
Members of the YSR Congress Party and the Central constituency MLA and Brahmin Welfare Corporation Chairman Malladi Vishnu asked the Mayor to order an inquiry into the complaints of many housing scheme beneficiaries.
The YSRCP members alleged that the Telugu Desam Party former corporators took money from many beneficiaries promising them allocation of houses. However, no houses were allocated and the beneficiaries who borrowed money to pay the corporators were still paying interests, they alleged.
The Telugu Desam Party corporators, who denied the allegations, also asked the Mayor to order an inquiry so that the veracity of the allegations is proved.
Mayor Rayana Bhagya Lakshmi asked Commissioner V. Prasanna Venkatesh to recommend a vigilance inquiry into the allegations.
The council meeting had to be ended in about two hours as a few persons, including two corporators, who were in attendance tested positive for COVID.
Minister and Vijayawada West MLA Velampalli Srinivasa Rao advised the council members to follow COVID safety protocols and ensure that the session ended soon without any prolonged arguments.
However, the TDP and CPI(M) members raised an objection as most of the agenda points were passed by considering the suggestions of officials without giving any scope for discussion.
Regarding the housing scheme, the Commissioner told the council that the previous government had collected ₹39 crore from 11,917 beneficiaries and construction of 6,574 houses was under way in the procured land.
The remaining beneficiaries were given plots under the current government’s housing for all scheme and the amount collected from them would be returned in the coming months, he said.
A few members skipped the meeting as they were in isolation and quarantine.
