The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has come under severe criticism after it came out in the open that the civic body had spent ₹2.88 lakh on VVIP tickets for darshan at the Simhachalam temple during the annual ‘Chandanotsavam’ held on May 3.
The corporation reportedly purchased more than 200 VVIP tickets each costing ₹1,200 and gave two tickets each to all the corporators and the council members, irrespective of their political affiliations. However, the corporators of the Left and other opposition parties condemned the move of spending public money on what they called as ‘personal purpose’.
They also demanded that those who had got the darshan tickets must reimburse the money to the GVMC with immediate effect.
Jana Sena Party corporator (Ward 22) P.L.V.N. Murthy on Friday staged a protest. Dressed as a beggar, Mr. Murthy stood at the entrance gate of the civic body’s office and sought alms from the onlookers.
“At a time, when much has to be improved in the basic amenities such as roads, drains and sanitation, the GVMC is spending public money on personal purpose. I came to know later that the darshan tickets given to us were not free passes and that they were purchased with the GVMC money. I deposited the money for the tickets given to me at the GVMC counter,” said Mr. Murthy.
Asked about him begging, he said: “I hope the GVMC does not buy tickets of Mahesh Babu-starrer Sarkar Vari Pata for the corporators with the public money. I collected ₹4,800 by begging and deposited it at the GVMC counter. The civic body can use it for buying the movie tickets for corporators if it wishes so.”
The corporator also demanded the Mayor must resign and sought a White Paper on the transactions made in the corporation in the last one year.
meanwhile, CPI(M) corporator (Ward 78) B. Ganga Rao said that using the taxpayers’ money to buy darshan tickets was a violation of the law. “Before proposing such idea, the officials should have discussed it with the floor leaders of various parties,” he said.
Mayor clarifies
Responding to the issue, Mayor G. Hari Venkata Kumari said that the GVMC funds were ‘not misused’.
“I wanted to provide an opportunity to all corporators to have a darshan of the Nijaroopa’ of the deity. Hence, the corporation tried to get the VVIP passes. But, we came to know that VVIPs had to buy darshan tickets too. Due to time constraint, the tickets were purchased with the special funds (Athidi Satkaram fund). Later, I paid the entire money from personal funds to the GVMC. No money of taxpayers was misused,” said Ms. Venkata Kumari.
