Thummala Nageswara Rao forced to wait as Cabinet colleagues turn up late for meeting

The meeting was held to review paddy procurement, agricultural preparations in view of monsoon, Indiramma houses, implementation of Bhu Bharati Act

Khammam: In a glaring display of lack of punctuality at official meetings, Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao was forced to wait for nearly one hour for his Cabinet colleagues to turn up for an official meeting

It might be noted that a meeting to review matters such as paddy procurement, agricultural preparations in view of the arrival of monsoon, Indiramma houses, and implementation of the Bhu Bharati Act was scheduled at 10 am at the Collectorate conference hall here on Thursday.

---

Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, district in-charge Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Thummala Nageswara Rao were expected to attend the meeting.

Nageswara Rao as per the schedule arrived at the meeting hall by 10 am but none of the senior officials or other ministers showed up. He then waited in the beautifully decorated meeting hall sitting alone and browsing his mobile phone while some officials occasionally came to him, probably to update him about the other ministers.

Finally, Vikramarka, Venkat Reddy and Srinivas Reddy arrived at around 11.10 am; went straight to the Collector’s chambers and the meeting started after a gap of another 10 to 15 minutes allowing the trio and the officials to prepare for the meeting.

This visibly irked Nageswara Rao quickly reviewed matters related to paddy procurement- Vanakalam arrangements; finished the business in about 30 minutes and left the meeting hall leaving his seat empty for the rest of the proceedings of the meeting.

District Collectors of Khammam and Kothagudem, Muzammil Khan and Jitesh V Patil, MP Ramasahayam Raghuram Reddy, Khammam CP, Sunil Dutt, Kothagudem SP B Rohith Raju and MLAs from erstwhile Khammam attended the meeting.