Adilabad: Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) Utnoor Aboriginal Tribal Welfare Advisory Committee (ATWAC) chairman Kanaka Lakke Rao passed away while undergoing treatment at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) here on Tuesday.
He was 58. Rao had a cardiac arrest and was shifted to RIMS where he breathed his last. A native of Thummuguda village in Indervelli mandal, Rao is survived by his wife and two children. He actively participated in the Telangana Statehood movement and was one of the senior leaders of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi in the tribal hinterland.
Forest minister Allola Indrakaran Reddy expressed shock over the sudden demise of Rao. He said the chairman’s death was a loss to the tribal communities. He conveyed condolences to bereaved family members of Rao.
Meanwhile, Collector Rahul Raj and his counterpart from Nirmal K Varun Reddy and ITDA Utnoor Project Officer Chahat Bajpai among others paid tributes to Rao at Thummuguda. Leaders of tribal rights organisation and his followers bid a tearful adieu to the chairman, whose final rites were held at Thummuguda.