City-based child rights activist P. Achyuta Rao breathed his last while undergoing treatment for complications arising out of COVID-19 at a corporate hospital in Malakpet here on Wednesday. He was 59 and is survived by wife Anuradha Rao and son Srikar Aditya.
He was admitted to hospital a week ago, with respiratory problems following COVID-19 infection. Initially administered with oxygen, he was later put on ventilator for the past few days. Sources informed that he was put on dialysis on Tuesday night when his kidneys stopped functioning, but it was stopped as his blood pressure began fluctuating.
It is learnt that the family faced difficulty in finding a place for cremation of Mr.Achyuta Rao, as several of the graveyards in city had shut their doors on them. Finally, he was cremated at the graveyard in Purana Pul.
Mr.Achyuta Rao began his activism for children in 1985 as the in-charge of Bala Sangham, a child welfare arm of CPI. About 15 to 20 years ago, he separated from the party, and established Balala Hakkula Sangham to continue fighting for child rights. He was instrumental in rescue of several children from forced labour and child marriages, which earned him the membership of the first Andhra Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. The commission continued after formation of Telangana too, in which he played a key role.
He is also known for a number of petitions he filed in the State Human Rights Commission with regard to child and maternal rights.
CPI General Secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy and central committee member Narayana and SHRC chairman G. Chandraiah lamented his untimely death.