Pingali Venkayya kin beg, N Chandrababu Naidu offers aid
The descendants of national flag designer Pingali Venkayya are on the verge of losing all properties
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2015-08-13 07:23 GMT
VIJAYAWADA: The descendants of national flag designer Pingali Venkayya are on the verge of losing all properties in Eluru and are living in dire poverty. Ghantasala Jayalakshmi, Venkayya's niece, and G. Bhargava Rao, grandson, were seen seeking alms at a temple in Eluru. The issue came to light when a few residents of Eluru lodged a complaint against the two while they were taking shelter in a temple, without knowing who they were
Police and corporation officials were shocked to learn about her family history when they tried to shift them to another place. Soon after the death of her husband, Jayalakshmi and son Bhargava Rao migrated to Eluru from Bhatlapenumarru as government aid to them stopped. With a small pension, she was left with no option but to depend on offerings from devotees visiting the temple for food. “Since we don’t have a home, we stay on roads as we have no option,” said Ms Jayalakshmi.
Bhargava Rao requested the government to provide them a house along with the pension to his mother. “We rely on my father’s pension and devotees’ offerings,” he said. Naveen, a resident of Vijayawada, said, “It’s really shameful that our political leaders and government have neglected the welfare of national flag designer’s family.”
Ex-MP Lagadapati Rajgopal, who had conducted ‘Thiranga Run’ in 2003 before the elections, had promised the family aid from the state government. Nothing materialised from it. Chief Minster N. Chandrababu Naidu has ordered the West Godavari district collector to help out the family.