VISAKHAPATNAM: Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), whose council met here on Friday, passed a resolution welcoming decentralisation of Andhra Pradesh with three capitals, with Vizag being the executive capital.
YSRC corporators attending the council meeting first raised the issue of making Visakhapatnam the executive capital, underlining that it is part of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy plan of ensuring decentralised development within Andhra Pradesh.
Apart from members of Telugu Desam, those of Jana Sena and other minor parties opposed the decentralisation proposal. Interestingly, BJP MLC Madhav praised Jagan Mohan Reddy and hailed the importance of decentralisation.
After a discussion on the matter, mayor Hari Venkata Kumari put up the resolution on three capitals for passage. The resolution received support from majority of the members.
The council, which met after a gap of three months, also took certain key decisions. Except BJP’s G. Kavitha, rest of the corporators demanded that Visakhapatnam Steel Plant must remain a public sector unit.
CPI and CPM members asked the mayor to take up this demand of the council with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he visits Visakhapatnam next week.
Speaking on the matter, BJP MLC Madhav maintained that instead of privatising the steel plant, AP BJP wing should ask the Prime Minister to merge it with a government sector company like the SAIL (Steel Authority of India Limited).
YSRC MLC Kalyani reminded the council members that her party, under the leadership of CM Jagan, has fought against the privatisation of steel plant.
In another key resolution, GVMC recommended that the “chainman” practice of taking measurements of buildings within the corporation area be scrapped. Almost all corporators supported this proposal. Members pointed out that after ward secretariat system has been in place, involvement of chainmen is needless.
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