Kothagudem Temple Board row: Villagers demand to stop swearing in ceremony of Board of Trustees

The residents of Kesavapuram and Jagannathapuram have been opposing a recent GO issued constituting the temple Board of Trustees demanding to give place to any of the residents of the villages in the temple Board.

Kothagudem: The turf war between Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy has been affecting the affairs of Sri Kanaka Durga Ammavari Devasthanam (Peddammagudi) at KP Jagannathapuram near Paloncha in the district.

The residents of Kesavapuram and Jagannathapuram have been opposing a recent GO issued constituting the temple Board of Trustees demanding to give place to any of the residents of the villages in the temple Board.

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A protest was staged in front of the temple on Wednesday by the residents of the villages demanding to stop the swearing in ceremony of the Board of Trustees until a revised GO was issued appointing a new Board of Trustees.

Speaking to Telangana Today, a Congress leader from Kesavapuram, Gandham Narasimha Rao who led the protest said that a new Board of Trustees should be appointed by allotting at least 50 percent positions on the board to the above villages.

The temple executive officer Rajani Kumari has assured the protesting villagers thathat the swearing in ceremony would be stalled until the matter was resolved, he said.

It might be noted that the endowment department has issued a GO RT No: 66 constituting Board of Trustees on March 6 and later it was canceled allegedly at the behest of Minister Srinivas Reddy as a Congress leader Jammula Rajashekar, a follower of the Deputy Chief Minister was on the board and he was supposed to be the chairman of the temple.