Protests, arguments rock GVMC council meeting

The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) council meeting on Friday (November 21) was marked by intense protests over the proposed privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), the plan to establish a cement grinding unit at Pedagantyada under the Gajuwaka limits and protocol violations.

Before the meeting began, corporators from the CPI, CPI(M) and the Joint Action Committee (JAC) opposing the cement unit staged a protest in front of the GVMC office, demanding that the council members pass a resolution withdrawing the proposal to establish the cement grinding unit. The protesters questioned the idea of establishing a cement grinding unit beside residential areas.

Corporators from the YSRCP and CPI(M) corporator B. Ganga Rao stage a sit-in before the Mayor’s podium over the proposed VSP privatisation and the proposal to establish a cement grinding unit at Pedagantyada, during the council meeting in Visakhapatnam on Friday.
| Photo Credit:
V. RAJU

Deputy Mayor (JSP) D. Govinda Reddy noted that all NDA leaders, including TDP president Palla Srinivasa Rao, had already said that they would respect public opinion on the issue and convey it to the State government. He also took a dig at the YSRCP, questioning: “Where were the YSRCP leaders when locals and NGOs were protesting against the proposed unit?”

Heated words were exchanged between the corporators of the YSRCP and the NDA over a protocol-related matter. YSRCP members alleged that several development works in their wards were sanctioned by the GVMC only after repeated requests from the corporators. However, the agenda listed these proposals as suggestions made by local MLAs. The YSRCP questioned whether the GVMC was functioning as a municipal corporation or a Legislative Assembly.

Some YSRCP corporators further alleged that the GVMC attempted to conduct foundation stone laying ceremonies with the MLAs at a time when the corporators were away on a study tour. They claimed that the GVMC was giving the credit of corporators’ efforts to the MLAs.

Mayor Peela, however, clarified that the proposals were added based on recent representations made by MLAs. Several NDA corporators criticised the YSRCP, stating that during the YSRCP government, proposals were introduced based on representations from YSRCP leaders and party in-charges, who were not even elected representatives.

Meanwhile, corporators from the YSRCP staged a sit-in before the Mayor’s podium for a while, alleging that the NDA was failing to protect VSP from privatisation. They also demanded an apology from Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu over his recent comments on VSP protestors and workers.