VIZIANAGARAM: The second phase of road widening work to 80 feet from clock tower to SBI main branch rocked the municipal council meeting during zero hour on Saturday. Chairperson M. Geetha suspended all 11 TDP councillors for obstructing the meeting. Later, they were bodily lifted out of the council hall by municipal staff.

As the meeting began in the morning to discuss and approve miscellaneous issues, the TDP councillors, who have been demanding uniform widening of the entire main road and compensation to traders, wanted to know the fate of dissent note issued a day after the special council meeting held on January 23. When the chairperson initially denied having received the note in the stipulated time, TDP floor leader V.S. Prasad, quoting the rule book, pointed out that the note could be issued within 48 hours even after the council passed a resolution on major public issues and added that this was clearly informed to the chairperson at the meeting on January 23.

Further, Dr. Prasad said as per her instruction, the dissent note was handed over to the camp clerk for entry in the minutes books on the following day. When she said the note was not sent in proper manner, the TDP councillors rushed to the podium and raised slogans against her.

She read out the names of all the 11 TDP councillors and suspended them from attending the rest of the meeting. When they did not leave the council hall and continued to raise slogans, she called in the municipal staff who lifted them bodily out of the meeting hall. As they continued to raise slogans outside the council hall, the police were summoned to evict them from the premises.

Later, Dr. Prasad said that as per G.O. No. 345, the main road between 3-lamps junction and SBI main branch was to be widened to 80 feet. But in the first phase as per the gentleman's agreement between the municipality and traders the road was widened to 60 feet between 3-lamps junction and clock tower. They were not paid compensation.

Second phase

In the second phase widening, some traders having establishments filed writ plea in the court demanding compensation. The court asked the municipality to widen the road as per G.O. No. 345 to 80 feet and pay "structural compensation". The TDP objected to this demanding uniform widening of the road and compensation to all.

As it is R and B road, the department should pay the compensation instead of burdening the municipality, Dr. Prasad said. He asked the municipality to pass a resolution restricting the widening to 60 feet and pay compensation for the land acquired in addition to the structures. Dr. Prasad said the party would launch an agitation on this issue.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail