Andhra Pradesh

TDP alleges violation of High Court orders

VIZIANAGARAM: TDP councillors of the Vizianagaram Municipality have alleged that construction of shops near Clock Tower has been going on unchecked in spite of High Court order banning them.

At a joint press conference on Saturday, party floor leader in the municipality V.S. Prasad and former municipal chairperson Prasadula Kanakamahalakshmi said house-site pattas were issued to some beneficiaries in a park in B.C. Colony in the 17th ward (Majji Babu Rao of Congress is the ward councillor). The Housing Department had arranged loans for the beneficiaries, he said. The tehsildar, however, denied issuing pattas to any one in the park.

It may be recalled that the municipality removed the temporary sheds built on the main drain for de-silting it recently following flooding of municipal office, P.W. Market and other surrounding areas during monsoon. Municipal officials, under pressure from local Congress leaders, turned a blind eye to the construction on the drain located adjacent to the municipal office, Dr. Prasad alleged, adding that they were suspended on Friday from the council meeting fearing that they would raise the issues in addition to the discrimination shown in sanctioning LPG connections. The municipal council had also decided to lay roads through the age-old Nehru Park, he said.

Former chairperson Kanakamahalakshmi said though the Chief Minister had been claiming that no favouritism was shown in extending government benefits to people, in reality, the municipality was showing discrimination in the allotment of LPG connections, pensions etc in TDP-won wards. Further, she said, works sanctioned in July this year and scheduled to be completed in three months were not even taken up in TDP wards.

Later, the councillors submitted a memorandum to Collector alleging violation of HC order. Councillors M. Chandrasekhara Rao, A. Vasudeva Rao, U. Vara Lakshmi and B. Appa Rao were present.

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