Members of the Visakhapatnam Apartment Resident Welfare Association (VARWA) on Friday submitted representations to Mayor G. Hari Venkata Kumari and Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) Commissioner G. Srijana through online, alleging that the ward volunteers and some GVMC staff were threatening the citizens that they would stop drinking water supply, if user charges are not paid for garbage collection.
In the representation, VARWA General Secretary B.B. Ganesh said that such incidents are being reported from residents in some areas such as Jagannadhapuram and Akkayyapalem. In some areas, residents were threatened that the garbage would be dumped in front of their apartments if they did not pay.
“We know that the user charges for garbage collection of ₹120 from residents and other commercial charges were passed in the GVMC Council. But, when we made an appeal to the Mayor, she said that reduction of the charges for the poor and lower middle class people was under consideration. As the user charges were under reconsideration, we request the GVMC to take steps to restrain its employees from making such threats,” Mr. Ganesh said.
