YSRCP corporators pull up AMC officials for improper maintenance of drains

Deputy mayor Kogatam Vijayabhaskar Reddy was the most vociferous. He came up with the suggestion of saving at least ₹1 crore a year by privatising garbage collection and using the services of the corporation sanitation staff to clean drains.

The recent flooding of the city during rains owing to improper maintenance of the drains became the focal point of Anantapur Municipal Corporation Council general body meeting on Monday, with YSRCP corporators training their guns on officials concerned. The council also ratified various works, amounting to ₹35 crore, within the corporation limits.

Deputy mayor Kogatam Vijayabhaskar Reddy was the most vociferous. He came up with the suggestion of saving at least ₹1 crore a year by privatising garbage collection and using the services of the corporation sanitation staff to clean drains.

“We have 19 tractors collecting garbage from various wards and 50 sanitation staff are employed for the purpose. We spend ₹1.2 lakh per tractor, which can be reduced to ₹63,000 if it is outsourced through tendering, with contractors supplying vehicles, fuel, and manpower,” Mr. Vijayabhaskar Reddy told mayor Mohammed Waseem Saleem.

Several corporators pointed out that drain cleaning was not taking place as ward secretariat sanitation secretaries were not taking care of manpower deployment. Municipal health officer, in charge of sanitation, replied that there was a shortage of manpower and it could be overcome by deploying pushcart garbage collectors for drain desilting works.

Mr. Vijayabhaskar Reddy also questioned the city planning section why they could not survey the 5.29-acre park land that were allegedly encroached upon despite the matter having been brought to their notice three months ago.

Several corporators held a sit-in dharna in the council hall, holding placards and photographs for the encroached land. Corporator Nagamani sat on the flood in front of mayor’s podium and said the Central park land was being encroached and officers were not taking action.