Visakhapatnam Public Rally Calls Out Ruling Government’s Anti-People Policies
Police Repression Ahead of GVMC Elections
Visakhapatnam is witnessing a surge in public outrage as civil rights bodies, labor unions, and local welfare associations have united to challenge the policies of the ruling government and the systemic violence enforced through state machinery. Addressing a press conference in the city, representatives from various public organizations condemned the hastily announced Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) election schedule and issued a call to the working class, Dalit-Bahujan communities, and slum dwellers to join a massive public rally on October 26, 2026.
Rising State Repression and Demolition Drives
A major focus of the civic coalition’s critique is the aggressive enforcement of government schemes through administrative and police violence. Leaders highlighted how the municipal administration, under the guise of drives such as “Operation Lungs,” has targeted small-scale vendors and informal workers, displacing nearly 50,000 families across Visakhapatnam. Instead of protecting the livelihood rights of vulnerable urban populations, the state apparatus has routinely deployed police force to clear traditional vendors and street hawkers, converting basic survival activities into sites of conflict. The organizations noted that while poor residents face harassment and forceful evictions, vast tracts of public land are being handed over free of cost to corporate entities, data centers, and luxury beach resorts.
Abandonment of Basic Rights in Slum Habitations
Over 50% of Visakhapatnam’s population resides in informal settlements and urban slums, suffering under severe neglect. Progressive Organisation of Women (POW) State President M. Lakshmi stated that GVMC has systematically violated statutory mandates by diverting funds from the Urban Community Development (UCD) department, which should legally receive 40% of the municipal budget. Dalit and Bahujan communities bear the brunt of this policy shift, with basic civic services like clean drinking water, proper drainage, and youth skill-training programs being drastically curtailed. Public facilities built with taxpayer money—such as community halls, sports complexes, and walking tracks—are increasingly being privatized, rendering them inaccessible to low- and middle-income families.
Dilapidated Infrastructure and Broken Housing Promises
Addressing the media, Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU) State General Secretary M. Venkateswarlu raised concerns regarding the dismal state of government-constructed housing schemes. Thousands of units built over the past two decades are now in a dangerous condition, suffering from collapsing walls, peeling slab plasters, clogged drainage, and unstable rooftop accesses due to complete maintenance neglect. Furthermore, erratic electricity supply and high-voltage fluctuations in these quarters regularly destroy basic domestic appliances, compounding the financial strain on families. The leaders pointed out that the pre-election promises of waiving TIDCO housing loans and providing two cents of land along with financial aid for house construction have been completely discarded by the administration.
Demand for Accountability at the October 26 Rally
Arunodaya Cultural Federation leader K. Balanagamma and Murikivada Nivasula Samkshema Sangham Convener Eesara Lakshmi emphasized that the current electoral system has increasingly insulated candidates from public accountability, turning local governance into a commercial enterprise. To force political parties to declare their stance on urban poverty, police crackdowns, labor codes, and civic rights, the joint platform has organized a grand rally on October 26, 2026. The demonstration will march from the DRM Office near Dondaparthy to the GVMC Gandhi Statue, followed by a public meeting. The coalition—comprising POW, MNSS, IFTU, and Arunodaya—has extended a direct invitation to all mayor candidates and political parties to appear on stage, clarify their positions, and respond directly to the demands of the city’s majority population.
Principal Correspondent, Prime Post
CS Kulasekhar Reddy had thirty five years experience in journalism. He worked in Udayam and Andhra Bhoomi as reporter and sub-editor. He highlighted various social issues in Chitthoor, Ananthpur, Kadapa and Kurnool districts. He covered assembly sessions and Secretariat happenings.
Email: sangatiksr@gmail.com
Mobile: 9000400679
