Irrigation engineer roughs up Rajahmundry civic chief

An irrigation department official allegedly manhandled the city municipal commissioner at his residence here today over the unattended civic issues, police said.
R Appa Rao, a gazetted officer and deputy executive engineer (irrigation circle, Dowleswaram), had gone to the residence of city municipal commissioner V Rajendra Prasad, located in Jawaharlal Nagar road area, at 7 AM to apprise him about some civic issues, they said.
Rao is also the resident of the same locality.
According to police, during their interaction Rao accused Prasad of not monitoring the waste disposal in the city and not taking action against the civic staff who failed to switch off street lights even in the morning hours despite the state facing acute power crisis.

"When Prasad reasoned with Rao that lack of availability of sufficient staff because of it being a Sunday, Rao roughed him up," police said.
Prasad is also a gazetted officer.

The civic chief lodged a complaint with police, following which Rao was taken into custody for questioning but no case was registered against him so far.
When contacted, Rao denied attacking Prasad.
"I went to his (Prasad's) house to lodge a complaint against wastage of power and improper garbage disposal. I wanted to bring to Prasad's notice the severe power crisis the state is reeling under and the practise by some civic staff to dump garbage in drains," Rao clarified.

Police are conducting inquiry into the incident.