Hyderabad: Endowments Minister Konda Surekha and Warangal West MLA Naini Rajender Reddy are at loggerheads over the formation of Bhadrakali Temple Trust Board in Warangal. The MLA is said to be upset with the rejection of a name which he had suggested in the committee and has openly criticized the Minister for not honouring the suggestion by the MLA. According to sources, the Warangal West MLA Naini Rajender Reddy had recommended a total of 10 names for the appointments to the Bhadrakali Temple Board in Warangal. Out of these, one woman’s name was disqualified in the departmental verification due to criminal cases. As per the rules, the individuals who are appointed as temple Dharmakartas should not have any criminal cases or background.

After knowing about the rejection, the MLA recommended name of another person. However, that person did not apply for the actual post of Dharmakarta. A senior official said, “Does Naini Rajender Reddy, who claims to be such a senior leader, doesn’t know that there are certain rules and regulations for appointing a person as a Dharmakarta in the Endowment Department?”

Sources said that Naini Rajender Reddy recommended a total of 10 persons and the minister included eight of them in the board. Sources close to Minister Konda Surekha said that as per the rules and regulations, the department should not give it to those who are disqualified in the verification. And how can the person who did not apply for the post, be included in the Board. A senior also questioned whether it was reasonable to put pressure on the Endowment Department officials to give the post to a disqualified person? There are allegations that the MLA had forced officials to take the application in a back date.

A senior leader from the Congress party came to the rescue of the Minister. The leader said that Minister Konda Surekha was a BC woman, the only BC woman in the state cabinet and she follows the rules and guidelines. He recalled that Minister Surekha gave approval to 8 people out of the list of ten people the MLA had sent. A first-time MLA, can he speak like this about a BC woman minister, asked the Congress leader.