The proposal of transfer of the assets of municipal schools to the Education Department rocked the Ongole Municipal Corporation Council meeting on Thursday. Amid the protests by the corporators from the opposition parties and the counters by the ruling party, the Council finally adopted a resolution against the proposal.
A pandemonium-like situation prevailed during the meeting as agitated corporators of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Jana Sena Party (JSP), carrying placards, rushed towards Mayor Gangada Sujatha’s podium. They staged a noisy protest, alleging that the Mayor had given her nod to the State government’s proposal. Repeated pleas by the Mayor to maintain order found no takers.
Soon, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) corporators also rushed to the well of the house and they came to the defence of the Mayor. Utter confusion prevailed during the meeting as the corporators jostled with each other. The ruling party corporators raised slogans against their counterparts from the opposition parties . The police had a tough time in maintaining order.
Meanwhile, some of the YSRCP members, including Deputy Mayor V. Madhava Rao, expressed concern over the proposal to transfer the assets of municipal schools to the Education Department. However, they expressed no objection to running of municipal schools by the Education Department.
“The valuable assets of municipal schools including land and buildings should not be transferred to the Education Department at any cost,” said independent corporator Gopinath.
Normalcy was restored after the Council adopted a resolution as demanded by its members cutting across party-lines against the transfer of assets of municipal school to the Education Department.
