Araku MLA killing: Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu announces Rs 1 cr compensation

Hyderabad, Sep 28: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday announced Rs 1 crore financial assistance, a house site in Visakhapatnam and a Group-I job to the bereaved family of slain Araku legislator Kidari Sarveswara Rao.

Speaking to media, Naidu said,''The killing of MLA K Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Soma is very painful. I condemn it. Govt will give financial aid of Rs 1 crore to K Sarveswara Rao's family, house plot in Visakhapatnam and one govt job to a family member.''

''The govt will give financial aid of Rs 10 lakh each to six family members of Siveri Soma & house plot in Visakhapatnam. On behalf of TDP, Rs 5 lakhs will be given to each of the 7 family members of Siveri Soma and 4 members of K Sarveswara Rao's family,'' he said.

Sarveswara Rao, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA from Araku (Reserved-Scheduled Tribe), and his party colleague, former MLA Siveri Soma, were gunned down allegedly by Naxals when they were visiting a village to attend a party programme.

The police on Monday had released the names and pictures of three Maoists including two women who took part in the attack near Lipittuputtu village, about 15 km from the Odisha border. Based on the information gathered from witnesses, the police said that the main accused in the killing was Aruna alias Venkataravi Chaitanya, a Special Zonal Committee Member (SZCM) of the Communist Party of India-Maoist.