Last rites of slain FRO performed with State honours in Khammam

Forest Minister A Indrakaran Reddy, Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar, MP Vaddiraju Ravichandra, Govt Whip Rega Kantha Rao, Khammam TRS district president, MLC Tata Madhusudhan, several legislators and officials took part in the last rites of the official performed at his native village.

Khammam: An emotional final farewell was bid to slain forest range officer (FRO) Ch Srinivasa Rao, whose last rites were conducted at Earlapudi village of Raghunathapalem mandal in the district on Wednesday.

The FRO was killed in a violent attack, allegedly by Guthikoya tribals at Errabodu plantation area of Bendalapadu gram panchayat in Chandrugonda mandal in the district on Tuesday.

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Forest Minister A Indrakaran Reddy, Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar, MP Vaddiraju Ravichandra, Government Whip Rega Kantha Rao, Khammam TRS district president, MLC Tata Madhusudhan, several legislators and officials took part in the last rites of the official performed at his native village.

Ministers Ajay Kumar and Indrakaran Reddy paid tributes to Srinivasa Rao’s mortal remains and took part in the funeral procession.

They consoled the bereaved family members and assured them that the State government would support them in all possible ways. Large number of officials of forest and other departments, the locals took part in the last rites conducted with State honours.

The ministers speaking to the media warned that those responsible for the death of the FRO would not be spared and would be punished as per law. The State government has taken the incident very seriously and the accused would be punished severely.

There was no trouble with the local tribals, but the migrant tribals were cutting down the forests indiscriminately. The government would not tolerate if they attacked forest officials like they were cutting down the trees in the forests, Indrakaran Reddy warned.

The ministers also interacted with the forest officials and personnel learning about their problems and assured them that issues they raised would be taken to the notice of the Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.

MLAs Ramulu Naik and M Nageswara Rao, CMO secretary Smita Sabharwal, Haritha Haraam OSD Priyanka Varghese, Forest Department Special CS Shantikumari, PCCF (HoFF) RM Dobriyal, PCCF (CAMPA) Lokesh Jaiswal , Khammam district Collector VP Gautham, Kothagudem SP Dr. Vineeth G and others also attended the last rites.

Meanwhile in Kothagudem, the district police have reportedly taken a few persons into custody and recovered the knives and sickles used in the attack.