Vijayawada: The Opposition parties have begun agitating against giving away government lands and VMC buildings to private firms in the name of development of the tourism sector and the Capital region.
The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has taken measures to hand over Swarjya Maidan, State Guest House and electric sub-station land to the corporates for tourism development.
Members of the Taxpayers Association and the CPI (M) have been opposing the move the CPI (M) activists staged a protest demonstration near the VMC administrative office in the city on Thursday.
They raised slogans against the VMC council, headed by the TD, and displayed a hoarding ‘’Vijayawada for Sale’’ listing out the government lands and properties to be handed over to private parties.
Address the gathering, CPM state leader Ch. Babu Rao said that the corporators of the ruling party were more interested in supporting the resolution to privatise lands owned by the VMC in the city than in addressing people’s problems.
“How can the VMC take up construction of a 3-star hotel on the land where the municipal guest house is existing and hand over the Swaraj Maidan to Chinese firms by converting the place to a commercial zone from a recreation zone,” he asked.
He took a dig at the VMC officials for calling tenders to materialise “City Square” project in the Swaraj Maidan as the issue is still pending in the High Court.
The citizens are already suffocating due to lack of adequate open and green space in the city and children also do not have place to play while elders do not have place to walk.
He demanded that the civic body should withdraw its proposal of developing “City Square” at the place. Else, he threatened to organise more protests in the city.
Taxpayers Association general secretary M.V. Anjaneyulu said the VMC has formulated an action plan to privatise around 47 acres of government land in the city rather than developing recreation centres.
