Dorepalli Swetha, a BRS corporator of Khammam Municipal Corporation and a woman from Mudiraj community, was appointed as chairperson of Khammam Agricultural Market Committee, which was reserved for general women category. Before Swetha, the post was given to D. Laxmi Prasana.
Appointing a woman at the helm of affairs of agricultural market committee should be taken as a positive sign of women empowerment. At the swearing-in ceremony of Swetha, Minister for Transport Puvvada Ajay Kumar claimed that the government satisfied two communities with giving the post to her. He said, “Mudiraj community leaders used to request him to give a plum post to their caste person in Khammam segment. The government took the decision keeping their appeal in view”. The Minister claimed that the aspiration of Arya Vysya community is also fulfilled with the appointment of Swetha as she is daughter in-law of a family from Arya Vysya community. Such claim of Puvvada’s claim was not accepted by Arya Vysya leader Mellacheruvu Venkateswara Rao. He said, “Minister sir, it is not proper to make a claim of satisfying the Arya Vysyas community by giving a post to Mudiraj lady. The Arya Vysyas got married to persons from various communities like Reddy, Kamma, Mudiraj, Kapu and others. It is not proper to claim to have given a post to the Arya Vysya community”.