Hyderabad: Hyderabad city and Telangana will soon see a spurt in cars with blaring sirens and blazing beacons thanks to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s largess.
With the CM granting “Cabinet rank” posts to those who missed out on Cabinet berths in the recent reshuffle, 36 MLAs, almost half of TRS’ strength of 63 will now have vehicles with beacons.
The CM, 15 Cabinet ministers, the Speaker, deputy Speaker, Chief Whip, four whips, four parliamentary secretaries already had cars with beacons.
Singer and chairman of Telangana Samskrutika Sarathi Rasamayi Balakishan and chairman of Telangana State SC Corporation Pidamarthi Ravi are also in the list.
The new VIPs with beacons include S. Niranjan Reddy, deputy chairman, Telangana State Planning Commission, Ghanta Chakrapani, chairman, Telangana State Public Service Commission, MLAs V. Srinivas Goud, Jalagam Venkat Rao, Dasyam Vinay Bhaskar, Kova Laxmi, and the parliamentary secretaries.
As per rule 314 of the AP Motor Vehicle Rules 1989, the CM, all ministers, chairman of the State Planning Board, Speaker, deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, chairman and vice-chairman of the Legislative Council are permitted to use blue beacons.
Sensing trouble over appointments of T. Srinivas Yadav and Tummala Nageswara Rao over those who had stood by the party, the CM announced a series of Cabinet-rank posts.
Firstly, Mr Rao appointed Dalit leader and MLA Koppula Eshwar as Chief Whip and three other MLAs, Gampa Goverdhan, Nalalla Odelu and G. Sunitha as whips, who will also get blue beacons.
“It is clear that the CM wants to keep ministerial aspirants happy with these posts. Many TRS leaders are upset over recent inclusions in the Cabinet, especially of the two leaders from Hyderabad and Khammam. It hurt many of us,” said a TRS leader.
