After maintaining a very low profile for nearly seven months following the CBI inquiry against him in connection with the VANPIC case, minister for roads and buildings Dharmana Prasada Rao is back to his aggressive politics in Srikakulam district.

Dharmana, whose resignation from the cabinet has not been accepted and his prosecution by the CBI has been turned down by the government, has once again started promoting controversial thermal power stations in Srikakulam district, which are being strongly opposed by the locals. On Saturday, he addressed a meeting in the district where he said there was every need for thermal power plants in private sector to meet the growing electricity needs of the state. He went to the extent of saying that people should not confine to agriculture, but also allow industries to grow for employment generation.

It may be mentioned that Dharmana had argued strongly in favour of thermal power plants at Sompeta and Bhavanapadu in the district, despite large scale agitations from locals which even led to death of three farmers and injuries to several others in police firing.

After the incidents, Dharmana became silent and in the meantime, his role in the VANPIC land scam came under the CBI scanner. Now that he has got full protection from the Kiran government, Dharmana is back with his old games in the district.