Nellore Sept 4:
The body of the senior IAS officer, Mr Pontagunta Subrahmanyam, who died in the helicopter crash on Wednesday that was carrying the Chief Minister, Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, was cremated with full state honours at his native village of Chemudugunta in the district.
The body arrived in the morning from Hyderabad by a special train to Nellore. Many senior colleagues of Mr Subrahmanyam from the capital city of Hyderabad accompanied the body to the district.
The family members of Mr Subrahmanyam, the District Collector, Mr K Ram Gopal, the Joint Collector, Mr Soura Bhagour, the Project Director of Rajiv Vidya Mission, Mr Yugandhar, and several other senior officials from the district received the body and paid their lat respects to the departed soul. On seeing the body of Mr Subrahmanyam, his family members began crying inconsolably.
The body was first shifted to Gudipallipadu where he did his schooling. After the villagers paid their respects, the family members and the senior officials -- those who arrived from Hyderabad and the local officers – shifted the body to his native village of Chemudugunta where Mr Subrahmanyam was laid to rest with state honours.
Mr Subrahmanyam, known for his sincerity and integrity, was the principal secretary to the Chief Minister, Dr Rajasekhara Reddy. Mr Subrahmanyam was the personal choice of Dr Reddy to look after his official matters.
He was accompanying the Chief Minister by the ill-fated chopper that crashed in the Nallamala Forests where Dr Reddy, Mr Subrahmanyam, the Chief Minister Chief Security Officer, Mr Wesley and the two pilots died.