Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

CPI(M) lays more emphasis on housing for poor

Staff Reporter

Releases manifesto for GVMC elections

VISAKHAPATNAM: The CPI(M) on Thursday released its manifesto for the GVMC elections with emphasis on housing for the poor and the middle class. It opposed the idea of installing water meters and any property tax hike and wanted a 10-year tax holiday for Gajuwaka and 32 panchayats merged in the corporation.

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Releasing the manifesto, party district secretary Ch. Narsinga Rao demanded that the land use policy be announced and the VUDA stop auctioning and provide plots for the middle class at a concession. The poor should be given sites free of cost and the Gajuwaka inam and Simhachalam endowment land problems should be solved giving ownership. Strengthening government educational institutions and hospitals, improving conditions in slums, increasing sanitation staff and eradicating mosquitoes are some of the other aspects on its plan.

He came down on the Congress stating that it had handed over the Godavari water work to L&T for Rs.300 crores though the Irrigation Department was ready to complete it at a cost of Rs.100 crores. If elected, CPI(M) representatives would fight corruption, he said.

Also, the State Government should not leave the local bodies to fend for themselves but should allot 50 per cent of funds to them as was being done in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura.

CITU district general secretary Ajay Sarma said the corporation could raise resources by curbing corruption and collecting arrears. CPI(M) leader P.V. Srinivas and city secretary Lokanadham were present.

Later, addressing a meeting of CITU, its State general secretary S. Veeraiah recalled how Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy criticised the TDP Government toeing the World Bank line and promising that the policies would be reversed. But now he was more than eager to please the World Bank and turning cities into abodes only for the rich.

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