Vijayawada: A corporator, in collusion with a few officers of the VMC, is allegedly resorting to extortion and collecting daily mamools from the vendors at the AMC Complex in the city. He has been reportedly sending his men for collecting the money from the vendors. Else, they are not being allowed to sell their products.
The AMC complex, popularly known as Jai Hind Complex, is in the 21st division and its corporator N. Balaswamy has denied the allegations. He said the vendors were making baseless allegations against him while in fact, he had asked the VMC to auction the small shops and tables where the petty vendors sell their goods, as it would generate income to the VMC. "It is because I proposed for auctioning of the place that the vendors are levelling allegations against me," he said.
However, the a few shop owners in the AMC Complex allege that the corporator is collecting money from petty vendors on a daily basis.
The vendors even alleged that a few of them were threatened by the corporator's men and told to pay Rs 2,000 per month to their boss.
To this, the corporator said: "There is no truth in the vendors' words. It is because I have been asking for auction of the shops that they are trying to tarnish my image by levelling such allegations," Mr. Balaswamy said.
