Slum residents’ issues must top GVMC poll agenda: activists

Representatives of various people’s organisations held a rally and public meeting in Visakhapatnam on Monday, urging candidates in the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) elections to clarify their stand on the problems of slum dwellers, said S. Venkata Lakshmi, Progressive Organisation of Women (POW) district president.

The rally began at the DRM office at Dondaparthy Junction and ended at the GVMC Gandhi statue. A large number of residents from all wards participated.

Inaugurating the meeting, POW State president M. Lakshmi said that resolving the issues of slum residents, who, she claimed, account for over 50% of the city’s population, should become the candidates’ election agenda.

The speakers demanded that the Slum Improvement Act, 1956, be enforced, 40% of the city budget be earmarked for slums, and houses on government land be regularised under G.O. No. 30. They also sought two cents of house site for every poor family and waiver of loans on TIDCO houses, citing a pre-2024 election promise.

CPI(ML) New Democracy State spokesperson Ch. Venkateswarlu alleged that the State government was conducting the elections in an undemocratic manner and had secured several unopposed wins by obstructing nominations during the local body polls.