The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Vijayawada News : Pushkarams: Minister cautions against wasteful expenditure

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Saturday, Aug 07, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

Pushkarams: Minister cautions against wasteful expenditure

By Our Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA, AUG.6. With less than three weeks left for the beginning of the 12-day Krishna Pushkarams, the officials concerned have been cautioned against wasting funds.

The Minister for Endowments, M. Satyanarayana Rao, addressing officials and elected-representatives at a meeting held here on Friday to review the arrangements for the festival, prevented MLAs going on a wishing-spree. "When we were in the Opposition, we were permitted to make demands, but now you are in the ruling party. What is the point in attacking your own Ministers," asked Mr. Rao.

Mayor's poser

The Vijayawada Mayor, Panchumarty Anuradha, created a flutter by asking questions about Rs.210 crores the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, had sanctioned for Krishna Pushkarams. "How long has it been since the new Government took over and how long has it been since the money was sanctioned? How is the money going to be spent? You must tell us," she said.

She incurred the wrath of Congress MLAs by condemning references made by the Minister to the victory sign of the erstwhile Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu. Even senior legislators took exception to the Mayor defending the leader of the TDP.

More funds sought

She demanded that the State Government give an additional Rs. 10 crores to provide amenities to numerous pilgrims coming to Vijayawada. She urged the Endowments Minister to announce an annual budget of Rs. 5 crores for the construction of a flyover at the traffic bottleneck near the Durga bathing ghat from department funds.

The Vijayawada East MLA, Vangaveeti Radhakrishna, entered into an argument with the Mayor directly. Ignoring the MLA, Ms. Anuradha continued criticizing the Congress Government. Interestingly, it was Devineni Rajasekhar who came to the rescue of Mr. Radhakrishna. He urged the district Collector, K. Prabhakara Reddy, to "control" the Mayor. When the Collector did not respond to his plea, Mr. Rajasekhar lost his cool and shouted at the Mayor.

The senior Congress leader and Mylavaram MLA, Chanumolu Venkata Rao, had to intervene at this juncture to cool the tempers. Mr. Venkata Rao urged the legislators not to generalise, but make specific demands. He said the demand for a flyover near the Durga Ghat was justified but the meeting was not the proper forum to raise it.

The Municipal Administration Minister, Koneru Ranga Rao, Krishna district legislators -- Veda Vyas, K.P. Saradhi, Sheik Nazarvalli, Devineni Umamaheswara Rao --and the Guntur legislator D.M. Varaprasad, were also present.

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