Death of GVMC official during meeting triggers political controversy

The sudden death of a Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) official during a meeting has triggered a political storm, with the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leaders alleging that pressure and harassment by TDP leaders led to his demise.

Superintending Engineer of the GVMC, G. Govinda Rao, reportedly collapsed during a meeting in Gajuwaka on Thursday, attended by Swachh Andhra Corporation Managing Director K. Pattabhiram, TDP State president and Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao to discuss sanitation issues and the functioning of the existing Garbage Transfer Station. According to GVMC sources, Mr. Govinda Rao was immediately shifted by staff to a nearby hospital, where he died while undergoing treatment.

However, YSRCP Visakhapatnam district president K.K. Raju alleged that the Superintending Engineer’s death was the result of pressure exerted by Swachh Andhra Corporation MD K. Pattabhiram. He claimed that GVMC staff face constant pressure and questioning by the Corporation’s MD. He further questioned how review meetings were being conducted without the involvement of the Mayor and the Municipal Commissioner.

Former MLA and YSRCP Uttarandhra regional coordinator Kurasala Kannababu, who was in the city to attend a regional meeting, demanded a thorough inquiry into the death of the GVMC official. He said that the allegations of pressure from the Swachh Andhra Corporation MD were a cause of serious concern across the State.

“If the allegations are proven true in the inquiry, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu should issue a public apology to government employees openly,” he addded.

Later in the evening, Swachh Andhra Corporation MD K. Pattabhiram expressed grief over the demise of Mr. Govinda Rao.