The Hindu : TDP Mayor creates flutter at mini-Mahanadu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 22, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

TDP Mayor creates flutter at mini-Mahanadu

By Our Special Correspondent

VIJAYAWADA May 21. The TDP Mayor, P. Anuradha, created a flutter in the mini-Mahanadu here today by raising her voice over the failure of the State Government in releasing grants due to the municipalities and municipal corporations. She demanded that the Centre release funds directly to the local bodies much to the chagrin of the TDP Ministers.

While the delegates appreciated her candid talk by clapping, the Minister for Commercial Taxes, K. Vijayarama Rao, feared that her speech would give a wrong impression to the people and tried to undo the damage. Ms Anuradha, who was a novice to politics, got elected as Mayor of Vijayawada to the seat which was reserved for backward classes two years ago. While thanking the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, for sanctioning a Rs. 200 crore package for the development of Vijayawada and for planning to widen the Eluru and Bandar roads in the city to 120 feet to ease traffic congestion on these arterial roads, she went hammer and tongs against the State Government for not releasing grants on time to the municipalities and corporations making them starve for funds.

She said that the Government, which has been spending crores of rupees on the development of Hyderabad, was showing step-motherly attitude towards other corporations and municipalities.

The Hyderabad Urban Development Corporation could sell lands taken over under the Urban Land Ceiling Act. Also, Hyderabad has a separate Metro Board for supply of water. It has privatised sanitation. But other Corporations which spend a lot on water supply and sanitation and have no vacant lands for sale need more help from the Government for their developmental activities. But they are getting a raw deal, she complained.

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation, for instance, had to receive arrears of Rs. 70 crore under different grants from the State Government. The Government had not received any funds released by the Centre under both the Tenth and Finance Commission grants. How can we develop the city under the present circumstances, she asked.

She pointed out that the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation had augmented its revenue by Rs. 15 crores by implementing the zonal system of assessing property tax and by Rs. 2 crores by collecting user charges from residential colleges, beauty parlours, wine shops, etc without imposing undue burden on the people.

It obtained an order from the Government to increase water charges from Rs. 40 to Rs. 100 per month. What more can we do to augment the income, she asked.

She complained that as the Left parties borrowed heavily from Hudco for construction of commercial complexes, underground drainage, housing etc, the Corporation had to pay arrears of Rs. 48 crore to the Hudco.

The corporation has been crippled financially due to indiscriminate borrowing on one hand and unhelpful attitude of the Government on the other.

She wanted the State Government to release Central grants on time to local bodies and also give them some share in commercial taxes and motor vehicle tax.

It should give clarification on implementation of Building Regularisation Scheme (BRS).

The State Government should also constitute a monitory cell to ensure that the local bodies prepare their budget with greater care and implement the same to achieve development.

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