JANGAON: It seems both Jangaon collector A Sri Devasena and local TRS MLA Muthireddy Yadagiri Reddy are not in a mood to bury the hatchet. The MLA, who has been crossing swords with the collector to organise Bathukamma celebrations at the disputed Bathukamma Kunta situated in Jangaon town, on Thursday organised the festival on a grand scale at the same place with a large number of women. Interestingly, the MLA resorted to this step exactly a day after the collector had officially celebrated Bathukamma festival at Banapuram.
The MLA appears to have taken the issue seriously and wanted to show the collector that he had good control over his constituency and that he would not fear any kind of threat or allegation. He asked his followers to arrange Bathukamma on a grand scale so that the collector could assess his influence.There was also a rumour that the MLA had lodged a complaint against the collector with the Jangaon town police but it turned out to be false. “We have not received any complaint from the MLA against the collector,” Srinivas, Jangaon CI said. Three days back the collector had said the MLA grabbed the Bathukamma Kunta land in the town, following which the MLA lodged a complaint against the collector with chief secretary SP Singh on Wednesday.
The collector said Yadagiri Reddy encroached half acre of Shikham land (land situated on the banks of a tank) and even got it registered in his name. The collector also found fault with the MLA for taking up beautification of the tank bund. The MLA did not take government’s permission before taking up beautification work but now he wants the government to reimburse the expenditure, which is not possible as it was done without permission, she claimed. But the MLA had refuted all the allegations and said the collector was knowingly defaming him.