GUNTUR: Officials from the AP Legislative Assembly went to the showroom of former Speaker Kodela Siva Prasad Rao’s son in Guntur on Friday to recover the furniture belonging to the Assembly. However, an advocate representing Kodela’s family obstructed the officials from recovering the furniture. Assembly assistant secretary K Raj Kumar, accompanied by Guntur tahsildar T Mohan Rao, on the directions of Assembly secretary P Balakrishnamacharyulu, visited the Hero Honda Showroom owned by K Sivaram, son of Kodela Siva Prasad. They found teak wood 10 chairs belonging to the Assembly being used in the showroom.
However, before they could enter the premises to recover them, they were obstructed by advocate Tadikonda Chiranjeevi who demanded official authorisation to inspect the premises. The officials showed the papers and told the advocated that it was Kodela himself who had agreed to have his office located on third and fourth floors inspected. “We are conducting the inspection to verify whether the furniture and equipment are Assembly property,” they said.
When contacted, an official said that they did not have the exact details of the furniture taken away by the ex-speaker. As of now they were tallying the furniture missing in the Assembly with that found in the Kodela’s camp office. Raj Kumar said they had so far found 10 chairs and, yet to tally the European furniture worth `1 crore as mentioned by Kodela in his letter to the Assembly secretary. Meanwhile, taking serious note of the furniture row, the State government repatriated Assembly chief marshal V Ganesh Babu to Octopus, where he was assistant commandant.
Recently, the former speaker admitted that some furniture and equipment from the Speaker’s Chambers in AP Legislative were shifted to his camp office in Sattenapalli and Guntur for personal use. He further said that some furniture and equipment, including computers, were taken to his camp office while shifting the Assembly from Hyderabad, for reasons of security and maintenance as there was not enough space to keep them in the Assembly at Amaravati.
Kodela said that in view of complaints against him, he had written to the Assembly secretary, requesting that the property be taken back. He expressed his willingness to pay the cost of the furniture. YSRC Sattenapalli MLA Ambati Ram Babu demanded that TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu suspend Kodela from the party. According to him, the issue was just the tip of the iceberg called ‘corruption by Kodela and family’. He alleged that 30 laptops belonging to the skill development corporation were taken away by Kodela family for their own use. Meanwhile, Transport DTC E Meera Prasad said as per the court order, they allowed the showroom to be opened but did not give them login facility.
Computers stolen from Kodela’s office
Former Speaker Kodela Siva Prasad Rao alleged that two computers were stolen from his office on Friday. He said one Akurati Arjun, who worked with him earlier but was now with MLA Ambati Rambabu, entered his premises in the guise of an electrician. Refuting the allegations, the MLA said Arjun had come to his office only for minor works related to computers, and accused Kodela of mudslinging
Ex-speaker complaints of chest pain, hospitalised
Kodela Siva Prasad Rao was hospitalised late Friday night after he complained of chest pain. Around 10 pm he was admitted to Lakshmi Super Speciality Hospital, run by his son-in-law Dr Manohar, in Guntur. The hospital authorities who confirmed the news, however, refused to state the reason and the present health condition of the former speaker