TDP minister’s wife creates ruckus for Rs 56

Andhra Pradesh civil supplies minister Prathipati Pulla Rao’s wife P Venkayamma has faced an embarrassment at Toll Plaza in Hyderabad.

It is quite common in the Telugu states, or in that case, anywhere across the country, to witness the family members of politicians using the influence of the said politician, in public places and trying to get advantage of it.

Venkayamma was travelling from Hyderabad to Guntur in the minister’s car. At a toll plaza at Madgulapalli in Nalgonda district, the employee over there, asked her to pay the toll fee of Rs. 56. Aggrieved over this, the minister’s wife busted out against the employee saying that a minister’s vehicle, is entitled to get a free passage at the toll plazas.

But the employee told her that he would allow the MLA’s vehicle, only if the said MLA is travelling inside and deny their passage, if any others are in the vehicle instead of MLA.

“You may be a minister’s wife, but not a minister. So, you have to pay the fee,” he asserted.

The Toll Plaza employee further pointed out that the validity of the MLA sticker on the vehicle had expired in December 2018 itself. The toll plaza staff were strict and refused to allow her till she paid the toll amount. Left with no option, she then had to pay Rs. 56 and leave the place.

Speaking to the media, the TDP minister’s wife said, “The election results in Andhra Pradesh have yet been declared. My husband is still a minister and an MLA. How can the toll plaza staff obstruct his car?”

Venkayamma is also an active TDP worker and campaigned for her husband extensively in Chilkaluripet during the recent elections.