SRIKAKULAM: Telugu Desam Party politburo member K Yerran Naidu and members of civil society blamed the attitude of roads and buildings minister Dharmana Prasada Rao for the unfortunate road mishap that claimed the life of the father of a VRO post aspirant on Sunday. Blaming the minister for bringing pressure on district administration to change the venue of the VRO examination from Government Degree College, Srikakulam to Itchapuram, 135 km away, just to enable the minister host his son’s wedding reception in the district headquarters, the senior TDP leader demanded that the State government announce an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the victim’s family.On Sunday, an aspirant for VRO post Hemalatha of Sarubujjili mandal, left her nine-months baby at home and started for the centre that was changed from Government Degree College in Srikakulam to Itchapuram 135 km away riding pillion on her father’s motorcycle. She and her father met with an accident on the national highway, Mohana Rao was declared brought dead.“We, the TDP, consider the death a state killing. The officialsresponsible for change of examination centre should be booked for the death,” Yerran Naidu said.
“The district administration could not control the monarchism of Dharmana, we hope at least Congress high command will put a check on him and make him step down from the ministry,” he added.Responding the incident, convenor of Forum for Better Visakha EAS Sarma on Monday wrote a letter to chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy asking him to make Dharmana quit his cabinet post.
“It is only in a banana republic that feudal tyranny of such persons (Prasada Rao) is allowed to continue and they are able to flaunt their authority to threaten the common people,” Sarma wrote in his letter demanding that the roads and buildings minister step down from his current position.