Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada   

Land struggle finds echo in VMC meet

— PHOTO: CH. VIJAYA BHASKAR

BURNING topic: Corporators of the Left parties and the Congress clash over the issue of houses and house sites for the poor at the VMC general body meeting on Friday.

VIJAYAWADA: The din raised by the land struggle launched by the Left parties found its echo in the general body meeting of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) on Friday as the CPI and the CPI (M) obstructed the proceedings for more than an hour demanding a discussion on the issue.

Corporators of the two parties jointly displayed a banner in the meeting hall, attracting the ire of Mayor Mallika Begum who wanted it to be withdrawn. The ruling Congress took a serious objection to the display of a huge banner. The Left corporators also brought along with them miniature houses made of cardboard as a symbolic demand for the sanction of houses and house sites for the poor. Seeking to pay back to the Left in the same coin, Congress corporators displayed posters about the government’s housing initiatives under JNNURM and Rajiv Gruhakalpa.

Ms. Begum, helped by some senior Congress members and Congress floor leader Kunuku Rajasekhar, repeatedly urged the Left corporators to remove the banner as it was “against the rules.” The Left leaders did not heed the advice of the Chair, and, at one point of time, CPI (M) corporators B. Satya Babu, Ch. Subhashini, K. Rammohan Rao and others rushed to the podium with the miniature houses raising slogans demanding distribution of house sites for the poor.

This led to much ruckus in the hall, with many corporators and Mayor speaking at the same time at the top of their voices. Congress corporator Elakala Chalapathi Rao’s comment that they too could display ten banners provoked the CPI and CPI (M) members further, adding to the prevailing chaos in the hall.

After making repeated requests, Ms. Begum succeeded in convincing the Opposition members to allow the proceedings to continue.

The matter subsided when the officials managed to answer a question raised by 53rd division corporator P. Durga Bhavani (CPI). Ms. Begum was quick to grab the opportunity and suggested to Left corporators to remove the banner as the question hour had commenced.

The watch and ward staff promptly removed the banner on the directions of the Mayor. The Left corporators earlier took out a procession.

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