Hyderabad: Forum for Good Governance demands Health Director's scalp

Hyderabad : Alleging irresponsible statements by the Director of Health G Srinivasa Rao, which arein violation of the code of conduct of government servants, the Forum for Good Governance (FGG) on Tuesday demanded the Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari to shift the controversial officer from the post of director.

The FGG secretary M Padmanabha Reddy wrote to the chief secretary on Tuesday. Padmanabha Reddy said that in a Christmas celebration he stated in full public glare that Corona was controlled in the state because of the grace of God (Jesus) and not because of the mass vaccination programme of the Government. It is nothing but insulting the massive vaccination - programme taken up by the Government, said Padmanabha Reddy.

Similarly, on February 12, speaking in a meeting he stated that he belonged to the Bhadrachalam area and grew up under the influence of Naxalites and was holding a gun, by mistake he took a stethoscope. "If I were to hold a gun I would have been killed by this time," he stated. On April 17 during Iftar dinner after offering Namaz along with Muslim brothers he stated that in his childhood he got an injury, when taken to hospital the doctors expressed concern and opined that God only can help. Thereafter his grandfather took him to a mosque where Moulana had tied a 'Tayath'. In a few days the wound healed and he recovered, today he is in the post of Director because of the divine power of Tayath, he stated.

Padmanabha Reddy said that Srinivasa Rao was holding the post of Director, Health, but his statements like Jesus alone controlled Corona and Tayath had cured the wound which could send wrong signals about Medical and Health activities of the government. If he has no faith in modern medicine he is unfit to hold the post of Director of Health, said Reddy. There are a lot of stories making rounds that he is likely to enter politics and all his controversial statements and acts are meant to be in the limelight even if they are in bad taste.