No discontent over new portfolio: Talasani

Turning down the comments of Congress leader Marri Shashidhar Reddy that he was demoted for harassing businessmen, traders and officials, Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav today said he was not discontent over stripping of Commercial Taxes portfolio from him and shifting him to insignificant portfolio of Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries.

After taking charge of the new portfolios followed by a review meeting with officials concerned at Secretariat here in a media conference, Srinivas Yadav tried to downplay Shashidhar Reddy’s jibe as useless comment. “Neither the new portfolio is a demotion nor I have any heart-burning on shifting me to other department”, he said, adding that he would accept any portfolio or any duty offered by the Chief Minister.

As he could not avoid posers from scribes, Srinivas Yadav hastened to add that during TRS Plenary in Khammam, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao denied such talk of demotion or a shock given to him as it was reported in a section of the media. Srinivas Yadav, who retains his Cinematography portfolio, stated that his immediate job was to focus on to strengthen the new departments. “I will make field visits in districts and ensure that these wings are developed to a greater extent”, he maintained. “Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy development wings have scope for potential growth and I will make efforts in that direction”. The Minister hoped that Mission Kakatiya – the flagship program of revival of lakes and water bodies — has potential to encourage fish cultivation in villages that will prove handy for rural folk. Besides filling vacant posts in the Animal Husbandry department, Vijaya Dairy Parlours will be set up at all tourism spots and welfare measures will be taken for fishermen and shepherds across the State, he added. (NSS)