It has not even been a week since senior YSR Congress party legislator Dharmana Prasada Rao was inducted into the cabinet of YSR Congress party president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and was allotted all important revenue portfolio.
On Saturday, Dharmana came to Srikakulam district for the first time after taking charge as the revenue minister and he was accorded rousing reception by the party cadre.
So far so good. But Dharmana surprised everybody by saying that he was feeling like retiring from politics.
“Maybe because age is catching up with me, I am losing interest in politics. I feel like retiring from politics and pave way for the new generation politicians,” he said.
The words coming from the minister who should have been in a jubilant mood after being given such an important position were really shocking to his followers and the YSRC cadres.
Dharmana, however, said he was forced to continue in politics because of the love and affection of the people.
“The people’s continued affection for me are coming in the way of taking such a crucial decision,” he said.
The minister also made some shocking remarks against his own department.
“I know that corruption in the revenue department has gone up to a very high level. I will make every effort to curtail corrupt practices in the department,” he said.
Stating that chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had introduced the concept of direct benefit transfer of money into the accounts of various beneficiaries only to prevent corruption in the administration, Dharmana regretted that in spite of the best efforts of the government, corruption was rampant in the revenue department.
“We should be ashamed of facing such a situation,” he said.
Dharmana also expressed his disgust at the caste-based politics.
“People believe the rulers only if they are sincere. The days have gone when the people vote on the basis of caste and religion. The recent victory of Aam Admi Party in Punjab is a classic example for it,” he said.
