The ‘Praja Darbar’ programme being conducted by State IT, Education and Human Resources Development Minister Nara Lokesh reached its 81st day on Wednesday, with the Minister holding public hearings at his residence in Naravaripalle, located in Chandragiri mandal, on the occasion of the Bhogi festival.

Despite the festive holiday, a large number of people from nearby villages, along with Telugu Desam Party workers, gathered to meet the Minister and present their grievances. Lokesh greeted visitors warmly, extended Sankranti wishes, and patiently listened to petitions submitted by the public, assuring them of his support.

The Praja Darbar saw a steady flow of representations, primarily related to land disputes, employment issues and local civic needs. P. Siva Kumar from Basinikonda village in Madanapalle mandal of Annamayya district alleged that 1.83 acres of ancestral land had been illegally encroached upon and sought a thorough inquiry and justice. Similarly, K. Parvathi from Balijapalli village in Ramasamudram mandal requested that her two-acre landholding be registered online and rightful ownership ensured.

Several petitions related to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) were also submitted. Representatives of a devotees’ group urged the Minister to withdraw the existing online system for Angapradakshina at Tirumala and restore the earlier offline token method to ease inconvenience to pilgrims. TTD data entry operators working under the society system sought parity with regular employees in terms of medical facilities and access to Srivari darshan.

Those who lost their jobs during the previous YSRCP government also approached the Minister. Representatives of the AP Economics and Statistics Contract Supervisors Association appealed for reinstatement of 160 contract and part-time supervisors removed from the Directorate of Economics and Statistics.

Other representations included a plea from the Sri Venkateswara ST Yerukula Sangham seeking allocation of house sites at a single location for 150 ST Yerukula families engaged in petty trades around Tirupati. Residents of Kachcharavedu village in Nindra mandal of Chittoor district sought allotment of house sites for Dalits and improvement of drainage facilities.

After carefully examining each petition, Lokesh spoke to concerned officials and assured the petitioners that he would take up their issues and work towards solutions. The Minister later interacted with the public and party workers and posed for photographs with them, reinforcing the outreach-driven nature of the Praja Darbar initiative.