BRS holds Endowments Minister responsible for Vemulawada kodelu deaths

BRS Vemulawada constituency Lakshmi Narasimha Rao visited the goshala at the Sri Rajarajeshwara Swamy temple, Vemulawada on Sunday.

Rajanna-Sircilla: BRS Vemulawada constituency in-charge Chalmeda Lakshmi Narasimha Rao on Sunday alleged that Endowments Minister Konda Surekha was responsible for the recent deaths of bulls (kodelu) at the Sri Rajarajeshwara Swamy temple’s goshala.

Following reports of the deaths, Lakshmi Narasimha Rao visited the goshala and blamed the minister for the mismanagement. He claimed that instead of distributing two bulls per farmer, the committee headed by the Collector gave away 60 bulls to a single beneficiary, Gisukonda Rambabu, based on the recommendation of Minister Surekha. Of these, 49 bulls reportedly went missing. He said that after the incident was widely reported in the media, the distribution of bulls was halted from December 1 last year. Consequently, the goshala’s population swelled to 1,300 bulls, far exceeding its capacity of 500.

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Reacting to local MLA Adi Srinivas’s claim that the deaths were due to lumpy skin disease, Lakshmi Narasimha Rao said the statement lacked factual basis. He said veterinary doctors had clearly attributed the deaths to lack of nutritious fodder, not disease. Though temple authorities claimed that 10 tonnes of grass were being supplied daily, he alleged that the goshala was receiving less than two tonnes. “Where is the remaining fodder, worth Rs 5 lakh, going?” he asked.

Drawing parallels with the infamous fodder scam in Bihar, he warned that someone might soon be held accountable in a similar “goshala grass scam.” He pointed out that the temple earns Rs 22 crore annually from kodemokkulu, and spending just Rs 18 lakh would be sufficient to care for the bulls.

“Who is responsible for the deaths — the officials or the Temple Executive Officer?” he asked, adding that the minister seemed unaware of the goshala’s condition and the deaths. He also criticised the lack of basic amenities at the temple, stating that around 20,000 devotees visit daily but often face hardships, including fainting in long queues due to inadequate facilities.

He urged the authorities to prevent such situations in future, take immediate steps to protect the bulls, and initiate a thorough investigation into the alleged fodder mismanagement.