Andhra Pradesh - Srikakulam   

Opposition leaders seek Dharmana's resignation

SRIKAKULAM: Leaders of various opposition parties on Tuesday demanded that Minister for Roads and Buildings Dharmana Prasada Rao be sacked from the Cabinet immediately as both the Revenue and Mines department officials had agreed during public hearing that granite mining lease was granted to Dharmana's family, violating rules and regulations. The ‘confession' of Palakonda Revenue Divisional Officer Subramanyam, Seethampet Mandal Revenue Officer R.R. Krishna Rao in the public hearing held on Monday has come as a shot in the arm for opposition parties which were relentlessly fighting for the cancellation of granite mining lease to Rammanohar Naidu, son of Dharmana Prasada Rao.

Telugu Desam leaders Kinjarapu Yerrannaidu, Gunda Appala Suarynarayana, Biddika Damayanti, CPI district secretary Sundarlal, CPI(M) district secretary Chowdary Tejeswara Rao, BJP leader Pudi Tirupati Rao and Lok Satta leader Balaram Mohanti Jagadish said Mr. Prasada Rao had no moral right to continue in the Cabinet as it was proved beyond doubt that he had influenced all the officials to get lease permission by hook or crook.

According to them, those officials have now fearlessly agreed their ‘mistakes' as Mr. Prasada Rao was shifted to R and B Ministry from Revenue portfolio.

They urged the Lok Ayukta to consider public hearing as an evidence issue fresh notices to the minister.

The opposition leaders have strongly objected putting flexi boards by Youth Congress leaders in Srikakulam town defending the minister's lease permission and Lok Ayukta's previous orders endorsing the permissions to Vargin Rock Private Limited, owned by Mr. Rammanohar Naidu.

“Mr. Prasada Rao should resign immediately. Otherwise, Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy should sack him immediately as he had blatantly violated rules and regulations and involved in nepotism. The Mining department should cancel the lease permission as revenue officials confessed their mistakes in the public hearing conducted by Joint Collector T. Baburao Naidu,” said Mr. Yerrannaidu.

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