Date:05/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/05/stories/2008030552490300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

TDP councillors suspended

Correspondent

They pressed for a clear answer on restoration of power supply to the office complex

VIZIANAGARAM: The Municipal Council meeting, amid uproarious scenes over selection of Indiramma monitoring committees and disconnection of power supply to municipal office, witnessed suspensions and walkout on Tuesday. During zero hour TDP councillors Muddada Chandrasekhar and Adurthi Vasudev wanted to know from chairperson M. Geetha about restoration of power supply to the municipal office complex.

The Transco had disconnected power supply four days ago after the municipality failed to clear bills to the tune of Rs. 71 lakhs.

The chairperson said that she would write to the Government for a clarification on payment to Transco at source from non-plan grants.

Many more municipalities in other districts too had been facing similar situation.

When the members not satisfied with the reply continued to press for a clear answer on the restoration of power supply the chairperson suspended them from the meeting. The TDP councillors said that their suspension during zero hour was against the rules and left the conference hall.

Later, TDP floor leader in the council V.S. Prasad demanded a clarification on the selection of Indiramma monitoring committees in TDP-won municipal wards.

Dr. Prasad said that the committees were appointed unilaterally in violation of GOs 350 and 505.

On the directive of the chairperson, Municipal commissioner S.S. Verma said that Minister for Housing Botsa Satyanarayana had at the awareness meeting on Indiramma-III stated that there was no need for conducting gram sabha as the Government had decided to sanction pensions and houses to all eligible persons in a village.