The ‘Hindu Smasana Vatika’ at Palakollu in West Godavari district had an ‘unexpected guest’ on Friday when the funeral pyres were just smoking out. It was MLA Nimmala Rama Naidu who landed there at the dead of the night with a handful of his followers.
What he did was to spring a surprise on the officials who realised a tad late that the MLA would spend the night in that pitch dark, secluded location to register his protest against the inordinate delay in the modernisation for which ₹3 crore was sanctioned more than a year ago.
His specific complaint was that the work had since been going on at a snail’s pace.
Before going to bed alone, Mr. Naidu told the media that the officials concerned and the contractors did not pay the desired attention to giving the long-awaited uplift.
Another reason was that the labourers were unable to work as bodies would be burning all the day and half-burnt organs would surface as they dig the soil. They also were scared that ‘spirits’ would haunt them.
On a mission
The MLA observed: “One or two bodies are consigned to flames on a daily basis. The labourers could not work alongside the corpses due to their own fears. The conditions are pathetic. I am here to drive away their fears. And, the officials are taking their own time.”
Shortly after the break of dawn, Mr. Naidu brushed his teeth, bathed there and even had a cup of coffee while the officials set out on damage control.