GVMC panel to go into slum development issue

A committee of floor leaders, the Mayor and the Commissioner will go into the development of Srilakshminagar slum on One Town area in situ.

Since the owner of the land was ready to allow its development in lieu of land elsewhere the plea of residents living there for decades should be conceded, 26 ward corporator P. Varalakshmi said at the GVMC general body meeting on Monday.

She was supported by TDP's P. Mutyala Naidu and CPI (M)'s Botta Eswaramma.

However, Commissioner B. Ramanjaneyulu said land could not be given under the relevant rules.

Also, there could not be two yardsticks for slum improvement.

If GVMC were to give land in lieu of encroached land it should hold good for all cases. Hence it should go the statutory committee on slum development set up under the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) for a decision.

After that if the GVMC passed a resolution, it would be implemented.

On the request of several members including TDP floor leader P. Mutyala Naidu, Dadi Satyanarayana (Congress) and G.V. Ravi Raju (YSR Congress), the Mayor announced that ward-wise meetings would be held from February 11 to 15 for change of assessments of properties to pave way for providing water connection.

The Commissioner agreed that some sort of tax should be levied so as to provide water to them.

No exemption

When corporators took objection to reports about evasion of tax by them, Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) M. Viswanatham said no tax exemption was given to anyone. Details would be called for and it would be collected.

Mr. Ramanjaneyulu said stating that taxes would not be paid on the ground that it was high would send wrong signals.

With its term coming to an end by this month-end, the meeting has a business-like approach barring a heated exchange between TDP's Ch.V. Pattabhiram and K. Hanoku (YSRC).