Summary: Do you wish to explore some details about the body that administrates the city of Vijayawada? Read on to know more:
The Municipality of Vijayawada was established in the year 1888 on the 1st of April. During that period, it was popularly known as Bezawada. Then, the municipality gained status as a selection grade municipality in the year 1960. Again, in the year 1981, it gained status as a corporation. When it was converted into a corporation, the size was limited, but after the conversion into corporation, three village panchayats and two villages were added to the corporation, thereby expanding its size to 61.88 square kilometres.
How about political wards in the city?
The city has 59 political wards and the administration of the corporation is taken care by an elected body that is led by the Mayor. The executive head of the corporation is the commissioner, who is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the local body. There are more than 5000 people working for the corporation.
Population of the corporation:
According to the 2011 censes, total population of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is 10,39,518, which includes a male population of 5,27,307 and female population of 5,12,211. These many people live in the corporation of Vijayawada as per the census taken in the year 2011.
Governance by the municipal corporation:
When talking about the governance by the municipal corporation, the online collection of different taxes through the e-seva centres has brought great deal of advantages, not just for the corporation, but also for the people residing in this part of the Andhra Pradesh. When it comes from the perspective of the locals, they are satisfied that their government has set up e-seva, which is actually a citizen service center that involves state-of-the-art technologies. Yes, like in other parts of AP, there are many such centers in Vijayawada that makes tax paying and payment of other bills like electricity bills easier for the locals. It is helpful for the municipal corporation as they can use the collected amount easily for city administration and other related functions.
City Civic Center:
In developing countries like India, even though, internet has penetrated in the lives of people, there are still many villages and towns in which internet is not widely used. But, Vijayawada Municipal Corporation wants to eradicate computer illiteracy among the locals. As a move towards this the corporation wants to make sure that the benefits of Versatile Online Information for Citizen Empowerment, shortly called as VOICE, rightly reaches the people.
Yet another move towards this goal is that the corporation has developed a model computerized facility called as ‘City Civic Center’ with all amenities in the premises of the corporation, such that people can avail a wide range of civic services from the premises of the corporation itself. For instance, activities like issuance of birth/death certificates, water tap applications and requests for registration of building plans are carried out at this center.
Now, you know a number of details about the corporation, but do you know about the social and physical infrastructural improvement made by Vijayawada Municipal Corporation? Let us explore the details in this regard:
Physical infrastructure:
Water supply:
This corporation holds the pride of being the forerunner in the entire AP state in the supply of safe drinking water to the residents. Every day, the corporation supplies 59 MGD of safe drinking water to the residents and also there are 59 water reservoirs in the corporation area with a storage capacity of 620.5 lakh gallons. The total length of water mains supplied by the corporation is 960 kms and the total number of house service connection is 1,08,712. Not just for houses, but there are also public stand posts in 2,892 places in the corporation. The number of boosters installed is 27 and number of hand bores and power bores are 2421 and 56 respectively.
How about roads?
The corporation has widened and extended approximately 1200 kms of internal paths in the areas coming under the corporation.
UGD:
In the city of Vijayawada, UGD or Under Ground Drainage was constructed in the year 1967-68 and about 35% of the area coming under the corporation was brought under this project. But, the corporation is engaged in the task of expanding UGD at a cost of Rs.271.48 crores. Presently, nearly 32,837 UGD connections are given in the city.
Solid waste management:
Waste management is the toughest task for any corporation and VMC has done well in this arena as well. Every day, city cleaning task is done and the city is divided into 34 sanitary divisions for easy completion of the solid waste management work. The wastes are sent to different plants for recycling purpose for using them in power generation and for manuring the plants. Vijayawada holds the pride of being the only city in India to use generated waste in productive manner.
Solid infrastructure:
When it comes to social infrastructure, health and education should form part of the agenda of any corporation and VMC has rightly understood the same.
Health:
To ensure the health of the local people, there are 22 urban health centers, 12 ayuredic, 2 unani and 4 maternity hospitals functioning in this corporation.
Education:
A number of schools are functioning under the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation. There are 28 high schools, 2 upper primary schools and 75 elementary schools functioning under VMC. The student-strength is 24,350, while the sanctioned teacher number is 924.
In addition to providing education to students, the corporation also supplies free mid-day meals at all 105 schools and nearly 24000 students are benefited from this facility.
Parks and open spaces:
The corporation takes care of 4 city level parks, apart from 35 unfenced and 45 fenced spaces. With the instruction of the state government, the VMC also regularly conducts tree plantation drives. In addition, 50 parks are developed and maintained by the corporation through park committees specially formed for this purpose.
Sports facilities:
The following stadiums and gymnasiums come under Vijayawada Municipal Corporation:
- 3 enclosed stadiums
- 3 Swimming pools and
- A number of gymnasiums
Lessening poverty and slum recuperation:
With an estimated poor population of 2.27 lakhs, the corporation of Vijayawada has 105 slums. Mostly, the slums are spread in the banks of the Krishna River and in its canals. With a view to alleviate poverty and to rehabilitate the slum areas, funds are reserved and are used for the same by VMC.
Awards:
The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation has won the following awards and accolades for its services:
- For effective administration system, the corporation earned the first ISO 9001 certification in the entire state of AP
- In Stockholm Challenge Award, VMC was the qualifier for finals
- The information and technology ministry awarded the corporation, the CSI Nihilent runner-up award
- For the site e-governance project, the corporation has won the Best Practices Award from CRISIL
- For the year 2009, the corporation won the National Urban Award.
