ANANTAPUR: The month-long protests by the Telugu Desam against the posting of a municipal commissioner in Dharmavaram has ended with his transfer to Proddatur in Kadapa district.
The state municipal administration department issued transfer orders on Sunday. While the official, V Mallikarjuna, was posted to Proddatur, Pramod Kumar of Jammalamadugu was named the new commissioner of Dharmavaram municipality.
Mallikarjuna had worked as commissioner during the YSRC period and faced protests from the TD over several issues in the past. He was transferred a few weeks before the general polls, but was again posted to Dharmavaram. This drew protests from local TD leaders.
TD incharge Paritala Sreeram came down heavily on the commissioner and alleged that he was helping YSRC MLA K Venkatarami Reddy in land grabbings. It was also alleged that the commissioner was involved in irregularities.
It was amid police bandobast that Mallikarjun took charge of Dharmavaram again a few days ago.
A large number of TD activists protested at the municipal office, but there was speculation that the TD and BJP were having differences over this issue. Health minister Satya Kumar Yadav is the MLA from Dharmavaram.
On September 28, TD cadres staged a protest outside the BJP office against the minister, pressing their demand that the commissioner be changed immediately. The minister managed to come out of the office with police security.
Interestingly, neither the minister nor the TD leaders spoke over the issue of a friction between the BJP and TD over this issue. The transfer on Sunday, however, drew a curtain over the TD protests.
