VISAKHAPATNAM: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) landed in a row on Friday when a section of the opposition corporators protested against “use of corporation money” for purchase of Chandanotsavam tickets for GVMC corporators.
The protest was led by Jana Sena’s 22nd ward corporator Pitala Murthy Yadav.
Yadav “begged” at the GVMC office as part of the protest, saying the corporation had spent Rs 2,47,200 to buy 206 tickets for the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Chandanotsavam held on May 3.
Yadav said that by his begging, he collected Rs 4,872 at the GVMC office and deposited it in the GVMC account to partly compensate for the expenses incurred by te GVMC to purchase tickets for the corporators.
Mayor Hari Venkatakumari responded asserted that the GVMC had not misused the funds. “However, due to lack of time, a demand draft of Rs 2.88 lakh was made out of the GVMC account to purchase tickets for the corporators. But, as much money was then credited to the corporation account from her own fund of Rs 2.88 lakh.”
There was no link between the corporation’s money and the Chandanotsavam tickets, she clarified.
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