Ganta fires a salvo at Purandheswari, tells her to check facts, bats for GVMC’s merger proposal

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Mar 6, 2013: Adding fuel to the speculation that all was not well in the Congress Vizag unit, ports and infrastructure minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao on Wednesday fired a salvo at the local MP and union minister of state for commerce and industry Daggupati Puandheswari over her recent remarks on the proposed merger of the Bheemili and Anakapalle municipalities into the GVMC.

In a direct attack on the MP, Ganta Srinivasa Rao, said, “Being in a responsible position she should not have expressed her opinions on the merger proposal. In the name of opposing the merger, she said there was no development taking place in the villages and panchayats that are already merged in GVMC. How can she say that without checking facts, figures and statistics,” and added that her ill-informed remarks would only help the opposition unnecessarily malign the party.

Purandheswari had in a letter earlier to the chief minister, N Kiran Kumar Reddy opposed the merger, citing various reasons. Purandheswari in the letter said “Even though 32 village panchayats were merged with the GVMC in 2005, there was no substantial development in these areas that includes lack of drinking water and other basic amenities. Better civic amenities could be provided even without merger if the government prepares to do so. Antiquity of the second oldest municipality, Bheemili, in the country would lose its historical significance,”

It was reported in these columns recently that proposal to merge Bheemili and Anakapalle municipalities into GVMC had turned ruling Congress a divided house in the district. While few Congress elected representatives have openly announced their opposition along with opposition TD, CPI and CPM forces, some are in support of the proposal.

Talking to this correspondent, Ganta Srinivasa Rao added that, the ‘greater’ concept itself which was introduced by the Congress government was to develop peripheral areas, municipalities, villages, panchayats surrounding Vizag and Hyderabad. He added that around 36 municipalities were merged in Greater Hyderabad and were seeing development.

The minister also refuted the allegations of Purandheswari that Bheemili, which is second municipality in the country after Surat would lose its historic and heritage significance.

“If the two municipalities are merged GVMC would get more central funds. Bheemili’s historic and heritage significance can be restored, enhanced and safeguarded in a better way with the more Centre funds. GVMC gets more funds under various Centre schemes like JNNURM,” he said.

When the merger proposal was initially mooted in 2009, it was opposed by several corporators, MLAs and MPs. However, since Feb 2012, the GVMC has come under special officer ruling, the authorities are now busy expediting the process. The state government had asked the GVMC authorities to prepare a detailed report with images and geographical conditions. Now, the GVMC staff is busy collecting data and would probably submit the report to the government shortly.