School Issues Trigger Uproar at VMC Meeting

Vijayawada: The general body meeting of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation witnessed heated exchanges on Saturday, forcing a brief adjournment amid protests over the condition of government schools.

The meeting, chaired by mayor Rayana Bhagya Lakshmi, saw sharp arguments between members of the Opposition Telugu Desam–Jana Sena alliance, CPM and the ruling YSRC over civic issues.

Corporators unanimously passed a resolution seeking assured drinking water supply during summer, citing recurring shortages. Members flagged problems such as ageing pipelines, dilapidated overhead tanks and reports of water contamination in some localities.

Sanitation concerns were also raised, with corporators pointing to irregular garbage clearance, clogged drains and inadequate fogging, which they said had worsened the mosquito menace.

During question hour, CPM floor leader B. Satya Babu alleged failure to secure and effectively utilise grants under the 14th and 15th Finance Commissions, affecting city development.

Tensions peaked during a debate on infrastructure in government schools, with Opposition members alleging neglect and ruling party members rejecting the claims. The Mayor adjourned the meeting briefly before proceedings resumed.

The council discussed a 165-item agenda, clearing most proposals and referring some to the State government. The Mayor announced ₹32 crore for air purification works in hill areas such as Old Town and Chittinagar. Municipal Commissioner H.M. Dhyanachandra and senior officials were present.

Organic Rytotsavam to be held in Vijayawada on Sunday

Vijayawada: The NTR district administration will organise an Organic Rytotsavam at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Grounds in Vijayawada on Sunday, February 22.

District collector G. Lakshmisha said the event would feature an exhibition-cum-sale of organic products, farmer felicitation and consumer awareness programmes. Stalls showcasing organic produce, farming inputs and equipment will be set up.

Capacity-building sessions and hands-on training will be held for farmers interested in adopting or strengthening organic farming practices. Special awareness sessions will focus on market linkages, a key challenge faced by organic farmers.

The collector said consumers would also be educated on traceability, enabling them to track organic products from sowing to sale, with the aim of building confidence and transparency in the supply chain.

Farmers, agri-entrepreneurs and health-conscious consumers from across the district are expected to participate.

Left leaders stress need to spread revolutionary writings

Vijayawada: Speakers at a Red Book Day programme held at the Lenin statue in Vijayawada on Saturday said Left literature remains vital to counter authoritarianism and exploitative tendencies linked to imperialism.

On the occasion, Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism was released by CPI State Secretary Gujjula Eswaraiah and CPI(M) State Secretary V. Srinivasa Rao, along with other Left leaders.

Addressing the gathering, Eswaraiah said Red Book Day was being observed globally through book releases and discussions by Leftists, progressives and intellectuals. He said communist ideology and Lenin’s ideas continue to be relevant and called for wider dissemination of revolutionary literature, including the Communist Manifesto.

Srinivasa Rao welcomed the joint initiative to promote Left publications and urged expansion of such efforts. He recalled that in 2020, Left publishers had come together to take Red Book publications to a wider audience, resulting in large-scale circulation of Marxist and Leninist works.

The programme began with revolutionary songs by Praja Natya Mandali. CPI National Executive member Akkineni Vanaja and leaders from CPI(ML), MCPI(U), Forward Bloc and RSP attended.