Veteran journalist Vasudeva Deekshitulu passes away

Vijayawada: Veteran journalist and former chairman of Andhra Pradesh Press Academy V Vasudeva Deekshitulu, who has been ailing for quite some time, passed away in a hospital at Secunderabad on Friday. He was 76. He is survived by wife and three daughters.

Deekshitulu, who started his career as a journalist in a vernacular newspaper, Andhra Prabha, retired as editor of that Telugu daily.

As editor of Andhra Prabha of the Indian Express Group, he used to write thought-provoking and hard-hitting editorials. He was instrumental in bringing out the Chimakurti granite scandal which rocked the state in the early 1990s.

In recognition of his service to journalism, the Andhra Pradesh government appointed him as chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Press Academy (APPA) in 2015 for a period of two years.

AP Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, his Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao, Minister for IT and Panchayat Raj N Lokesh, Minister for Information and Housing K Srinivasulu extended their condolences to the bereaved family.

They said in separate statements that the death of the senior journalist was great loss to the field of journalism.

They recalled the services of Deekshitulu in maintaining standards in journalism and said he was a role model to many young journalists who were guided by him in their procession.

The final rites of Deekshitulu would be held at his residence in Kalayanpuri, Secunderabad, on Saturday, according to his family members.