Andhra Pradesh - Guntur   

Protest mars GMC budget meeting

— Photo: T VIJAYA KUMAR

TDP corporator V. Sriram Prasad staging a sit-in to highlight drinking water scarcity in Guntur at the budget meet on Saturday.

GUNTUR: The special budget session of the Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) held on Saturday was adjourned amidst stormy scenes after corporators of both the Congress and the Telugu Desam walked out of the meeting, protesting against the “exorbitant” penal interest on property tax arrears.

The GMC in its draft budget estimated the revenues in the financial year 2010-2011 to prop up to Rs.271.28 crores, out of which penal interest to be collected on tax arrears was estimated at Rs.1 crore. The expenditure was shown as Rs.258.88 crores, with a surplus of Rs.16.61 crores.

Meet adjourned

Mayor Rayapati Mohana Sai Krishna adjourned the meeting to March 27, as rules stipulate that the council could not be held when the Legislative Assembly is in session.

This is the last budget to be presented by the Congress governing body and euphoria of the ruling Congress over sanction of World Bank- funded Drinking water project at a cost of Rs.150 crores was short-lived as a determined opposition succeeded in stalling the proceedings.

Municipal Commissioner K. Ilambarthi expressed his helplessness and suggested that the council take up the issue with the State government. He also said that collection of penal interest was in the manual of Hyderabad Municipal Act. Half-yearly property tax assessments were being done twice a year, October- March and April-September.

Earlier, TDP corporators led by V. Sriram Prasad staged a sit-in before the Mayor's podium with empty pots protesting against the shortage of drinking water. The Mayor assured that water supply would be augmented once the works relating to laying of second pipeline from Takkelapadu were completed.

Raising the issue, Telugu Desam corporator M. Rajesh said that decision to charge a penal interest of 2 per cent every month would crush traders and businessmen, reeling under recession. Praja Rajyam Party corporators held placards to show their protest, while Congress Floor leader K. Manohar too voiced his concern.

‘Unfair'

Showing solidarity with the members, the Mayor said that it was unfair to charge penal interest when banks themselves had been lowering their deposit and interest rates. But the Commissioner stood to his ground and said that unless the government issued a G.O. to amend the Act, it would not be possible to lower the penal interest rates.

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

Stories in this Section

Levy target fixed at 1.65 lakh metric tonnes
Mega job fair held at Vignan varsity
Blood donation camp held
Protest mars GMC budget meeting
Fire in garments store
Uninterrupted power for agriculture sought
Rs.152-crore ANU budget approved with deficit

Copyright © 2010, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu