HYDERABAD: The state government has decided to celebrate the birth anniversary of the late Duddilla Sripada Rao, former Assembly Speaker of undivided Andhra Pradesh on March 2, 2024, as a state function. Orders to this effect were issued on Saturday.
Collectors of all districts have been informed to celebrate the birthday anniversary of Sripada Rao. The orders said that the Youth Advancement, Tourism and Culture department shall take necessary action in the matter duly meeting the expenditure from its budgetary provision.
Sripada Rao was born on March 2, 1935, at Dhanwada, Jayashankar Bhupalpally district and served as the Speaker of AP Assembly. He represented Manthani in the Assembly for three consecutive terms. He was killed by Maoists (People’s War Group) on April 13, 1999, at Annaram village of Mahadevpur mandal of erstwhile Karimnagar district.
Sripada Rao, a close associate of former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao, was returning in his car after attending the religious rites of a friend when he was waylaid by Naxalites and shot dead at point-blank range.
The then chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu ordered a high-level inquiry into the killing which concluded that he was killed by Maoists.