VIJAYAWADA: Mayor Tadi Sakuntala dashed off a missive to Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy demanding a cut in the powers of the Municipal Commissioner and more teeth to the elected body. She breathed fire against Commissioner Natarajan Gulzar for "ignoring and bypassing" the decisions of the elected body.

Copies of the letter were released to the press here on Tuesday. Ms. Sakuntala urged the Chief Minister to fix a date before May 15 and call for a meeting with all the concerned to discuss the various issues she had raised in the detailed letter.

She wanted the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act, 1955 to be amended and introduce the system of mayor-in-council by endowing the elected representatives of the civic body with necessary powers and reducing the powers vested in the Commissioner, as suggested by the all-India mayors' council. She urged the Government to rescind the G.O. 160, which empowered the commissioners to privatise the corporation lands independent of the views of the elected body.

Road widening

Launching a diatribe against the Commissioner, Ms. Sakuntala referred to the controversies over the widening of Bandar Road, fixing of water meters, surrender and suspension of employees of the corporation that widened the chasm between the council and the commissioner.

She made a special mention about the manner in which the Commissioner left the hall when the general body was in session without seeking the permission of the chair.

Fixing and removal of barricades on Besant Road without the permission of the council and breaking of traffic islands at important junctions in the city were also listed by the Mayor.

She complained to the Chief Minister that the Commissioner did not inform her about his leave, nor did the in-charge commissioner let her know about it.

She came to know about the Commissioner's leave and resumption of duty through newspapers.

While all other officials were afraid to meet the Mayor for obvious reasons, several files sought for by her were never sent by the Commissioner.

`Defying orders'

Ms. Sakuntala informed the Chief Minister that the Commissioner "defied the orders" of the Government and was sanctioning the works costing over Rs 10 lakhs.

The Commissioner called for tenders for the construction of drains for Rs 5 crores, even though "the decision on the width of the road has not been finalised."

She felt that the `indictment and awarding of jail term' to the Commissioner by the State High Court was "an insult" to the city.

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