CM brushes aside Surekha’s episode; asks MLAs to concentrate on development

Even as rumours of action against Endowments Minister Konda Surekha were imminent for ‘indiscipline’, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said he would not comment on internal party matters and maintained that the decision of the disciplinary committee should be accepted by all concerned.

Responding to questions on the controversy surrounding Ms. Surekha, the Chief Minister said the matter was before the party’s disciplinary mechanism and that he would not interfere in the process. He would also not respond to speculative reports or stories concerning internal party affairs.

Meanwhile, several MLAs met the Chief Minister after his return from New Delhi and are said to have pressed for action against Ms. Surekha for trying to ‘damage’ his reputation and also the government. But the Chief Minister was more focussed on government affairs than party indiscipline issues leaving them for the party to handle.

Assembly elections from September 7

The Chief Minister told a group of public representatives who met him at the Secretariat that the Assembly session would commence from September 7 and asked legislators to ensure that issues concerning their constituencies were addressed on priority.

The Chief Minister stressed the need to speed up pending land acquisition works for irrigation projects in the Assembly constituencies. “If there is negligence in land acquisition, projects can never be completed,” he said.

He assured legislators that the government was ready to immediately sanction funds required for land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R), and forest clearances so that there would be no delay in execution of the projects.

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Ministers N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Tummala Nageswara Rao, Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy and Seethakka, government Whips Aadi Srinivas, Ramchandra Naik, Beerla Ilaiah and Vemula Veeresham, several MLAs, MPs and MLC Baswaraju Saraiah attended the meeting. Among those present were MPs Kadiyam Kavya, Raghuveer Reddy, Anil Kumar Yadav and Vem Narender Reddy, besides a number of legislators from across the State.