HYDERABAD,February 24 2012: Andhra Pradesh Roads and Buildings Minister D Prasada Rao is in the eye of a storm for allegedly misusing his position and holding a lavish wedding reception of his son at the premises of a government degree college in Srikakulam town.What is more, the minister also allegedly forced the district authorities to cancel a scheduled competitive examination at the college so that it could be used as the venue for the grand reception. Rao, an influential backward class leader who holds the Roads and Buildings portfolio, threw a lavish party for his friends and relatives, on the occasion of his son Ram Manohar Naidu’s wedding, at the sprawling Government Degree College premises at the district headquarters of Srikakulam. The adjacent cricket stadium was also used for parking vehicles. Over 50,000 guests attended the reception held on Sunday amidst much pomp and fanfare. However, the candidates appearing for the competitive exam to fill up positions for village revenue officers (VRO) and village revenue assistants (VRA) had to suffer. With the degree college remaining out of bounds for the day, they had to travel long distances to appear for the test which was held all over the state on the same day. Some candidates had to travel to neighbouring towns to write the test. While the minister refuted the charge that he had influenced the officials to change test venue, the opposition parties demanded stringent action against him for gross misuse of office. he Degree College in the heart of Srikakulam is a major centre for hosting competitive exams in the district as it can accommodate morethan 2,000 candidates. With the local revenue authorities cancelling the examination centre on administrative grounds, several candidates, who were expecting that they would be allotted the local centre, were shocked to realize that they had to travel long distances to appear for the test. The main opposition Telugu Desam Party leaders alleged that the local officials, from the revenue divisional officer to the municipal commissioner, had personally supervised the arrangements for the reception. Calling for immediate action against the minister, the senior TDP leader and former Union Minister K Yerran Naidu said that the compound wall of the college was demolished to make way for the entry of vehicles while the stadium premises, including the cricket pitch, was dug up to erect tents and dais for the reception.
