Marri Shashidhar Reddy alleges negligence by Balkampet Renuka Yellamma temple staff

HYDERABAD: Former minister Marri Shashidhar Reddy has on Monday written to Endowments Commissioner Anil Kumar complaining against the negligence of official duties by the executive officer of the Balkampet Renuka Yellamma Devasthanam.

In his letter Marri Shashidhar Reddy brought to Anil Kumar’s notice that large hoardings have been erected on three sides of the temple to show that Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav has made a donation for the Kalyanothsavam which will be held on Tuesday.

The letter sent to the Endowments Commissioner, by the former minister claims that some men, likely to be Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav’s followers, were trying to pull off a publicity stunt for making a Rs. 5 lakh donation to the erection of sheds on the roads, which cost a total of Rs. 80. lakh.

“What was the donation made for? Was it for the temple or was it for the recently-made 3.6 kg Golden Kavacham? How was erection of such huge hoardings calling Talasani a donor, allowed when there are several other donors as well?” asked Marri Shashidhar Reddy in his letter.

“How did the executive officer of the temple allow the hoardings to be set up and remain a mute spectator? This is a total misuse of power by the minister and total dereliction of duty by the EO,” he added in his letter.

He also alleged that this was not a one-off incident of the EO acting in an irresponsible way and said that she remained a silent spectator even when an illegal construction was taken up on the Temple land for road-widening, when she ignored the Municipal Bye Laws, Marri Shashidhar Reddy said.