Vanama in dock over forest land!

It is not even two months since Minister for Vaidya Vidana Parishad and Hospital Services Vanama Venkateswara Rao got into the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy cabinet, but he has gained enough notoriety that caught the attention of even the Congress high command.

AICC incharge of AP affairs Digvijay Singh, who made an oblique reference to the land grabbings done by some Congress leaders during the recent training camp of Congress workers, is understood to have enquired about the illegal occupation of forest land occupied by Vanama in Kothagudem. Apparently, his rival group in the Congress led by P Sudhakar Reddy complained to the high command over the land grabbing, allegedly done by the minister.

What is more, the same Congress leaders gave the tip off to the Opposition – Telugu Desam party, which is now taking up a serious agitation against Vanama's land grabbing. A team of TD MLAs and local leaders went to the lands and erected flags there and later took out a rally.

It is learnt the Chief Minister reporteldy pulled up the minister during the recent Cabinet meeting and asked him to surrender the land much before the issue snowballs into a big agitation.