What did Talasani Srinivas Yadav donate to Yellamma Thalli?, asks Marri Sashidhar

Hyderabad: What has Animal Husbandry Minister T Srinivas Yadav donated to put up sheds or to construct the Yellamma temple in Balkampet? This doubt was expressed by former minister Marri Sashidhar Reddy in a letter to the State Endowments Commissioner on Monday.

According to Reddy, the Kalyanostsavam of Sri Renuka Yellamma Devasthanam, Balkampet, will be held on June 20.

A photo of one of the boards put up near the temple reads “Sri Renuka Yellamma Temple”, Balkampet, Hyderabad and “Donor - Shri Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Minister”, with illumination for visibility at night time.”

Reddy said, following information provided by some devotees, he had visited the temple on Monday.

“Huge boards have been erected on three sides on top of sheds which were totally irregular, put up on roads around the temple, he said,

But he wondered what has the minister donated? Is he the donor of the recently made Golden Kavacham weighing 3.6 kg? Or the sheds across the roads around the temple? Or the temple itself?

“The executive officer informed that some people have put up the boards without her consent or involvement.” When asked about the donations given by the minister, she told Reddy that it was Rs 5 lakh for erection of sheds, while their total cost was Rs 80 lakh.

“How can the minister alone put up a board like that and how did the EO allow it or remain a mute spectator. This is a total misuse of power by the minister and total dereliction of duty by the EO,” Reddy rued in his letter.

“The irony is that a stone plaque was unveiled at the time of the inauguration of the shed on February 4, 2022. It has a list of few donors who gave donations ranging from Rs 5.1 lakhs to Rs 50,000; strangely the minister’s name does not figure in that. But, the EO claims that the minister has donated Rs 5 lakh, which appears, under the circumstances, totally concocted.

“The boards have been put up to make a false propaganda to mislead people to gain political advantage by the minister.The EO has connived with the minister in this. This conduct of the minister and the EO, against service rules, is condemnable. This is not the first time that she has acted irresponsibly; she had remained a silent spectator when illegal construction was taken up in violation of the municipal by-laws. The temple has given up a part of the setback earmarked for road widening under the Master Plan.”