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Sidda Raghava Rao (Telugu, born 10 August 1957) is an Indian politician who currently serves as a Minister for Environment, Forests, Science and Technology in the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet. He earlier worked as a Minister for Transport, Roads & Buildings.

Personal life
Born in Chimakurthy of Prakasam district (in Andhra Pradesh) to Sidda Venkata Subbamma and Sidda Venkateswarlu, Raghava Rao grew up in a large family comprising of eight brothers. He completed his schooling at Chimakurthy and went to Bapatla to pursue intermediate. He later graduated in Commerce from Andhra University in the year 1977.

Hailing from a traditional Vysya business family that was well-known in Prakasam district as the ‘Sidda’ family, Raghava Rao joined the family business of granite export immediately after completing his education. He married Lakshmi Padmavathi in the year 1979. They became proud parents to Sudheer Kumar and Sunitha Prasana Mani Kumari. Sudheer completed his Masters in Business Administration in Chennai and is grooming to be the political heir of his father while Mani Kumari is married into a business family.

Early life
Raghava Rao is a well-respected figure in the granite industry who also served in key roles in the Granite Owners’ Association. Possessing vast business experience, he is well-versed with day to day operations of mines and has contributed immensely to the welfare of workers involved in mining activities. Raghava Rao served in various capacities in reputed organisations such as Lions Club International & Sri Vasavi Seva Club and carried out social service benefiting thousands of families.

Starting as Chartered Vice President of the Lions Club of Chimakurthy in 1990, he quickly rose through the ranks to be elevated to executive positions at the zonal, regional and district levels, becoming a District Governor eventually. Raghava Rao’s family-managed “Sidda Venkateswarlu & Venkata Subbamma Charitable Trust” has sponsored education for hundreds of students who come from underprivileged backgrounds. Feeding the poor and the destitute has been a constant activity that the trust regularly undertakes. More than 600 people are fed as part of ‘Annadana Seva’ carried out between November and January every year. The trust is also credited to building ‘Sri Hari Hara Kshethram’ – one of the largest temple complexes in Prakasam district.

Raghava Rao participated in the Janmabhoomi Program during the late 1990s and constructed 30 houses along with amenities (called as Sidda Colony) for the poor. He also contributed to laying roads in Chimakurthy and began to make a name for himself for his generosity. His work caught the attention of the then Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu who invited him to join the Telugu Desam party (TDP) and serve the people in official capacity. Raghava Rao joined the party in 1999, and hence began his political career.



Politics
Owing to his active work in the party Raghava Rao began to be recognized as a reliable leader. His constant work was awarded with Vice Presidentship of Telugu Desam party in 2006 and chosen as Trust Board Chairman for Srisailam Devasthanam. He was elected as a Member of Legislative Council in the same year – his first post as a public representative. In 2011, he was appointed as a Polit Bureau Member of TDP – the decision making executive body of the party.

Raghava Rao’s proactive service on behalf of the party when calamities and mishaps struck AP was widely commended. He played an active role in the “Samaikyandhra” (United Andhra) movement, organizing demonstrations along with party men and donating essential commodities to RTC employees who carried out mass agitations. In the year 2012, Raghava Rao was made the in-charge of Darsi assembly constituency which he has nurtured since. He continued his philanthropic work in Darsi including feeding poor students studying in Government junior college. He is much respected for mobilizing six tankers daily to provide safe drinking water to local residents of Darsi and for digging 270 borewells at a cost of Rs. 80 lakhs – all at his own expenses. He continues to spend more than Rs. 1.5 crore every year for social service activities in the region.

He is an acting member for Srisailam, Shirdi and Tirupathi, Arya Vysya Community’s Choultries (rest houses).

2014 Elections
Raghava Rao’s service to the party and Darsi constituency was duly recognized by Nara Chandrababu Naidu after he was given the opportunity to contest the assembly elections held in May 2014. Raghava Rao’s good work in the constituency and deep connections with the party cadre and people gave him a victory over his rival from the YSR Congress Party. Telugu Desam party won the Darsi seat after 15 long years. Telugu Desam formed the government in the bifurcated state of Andhra Pradesh in June 2014

As Minister
Raghava Rao was rewarded for his hard work for the party and people with a ministerial post. He was made the Minister for Transport, Roads & Buildings – a critical responsibility because bifurcated Andhra Pradesh had a lot of catching up to do with other states in the Country in terms of infrastructure and roads development. Raghava Rao began work with a sense of purpose and urgency. His primary objective was to build necessary road infrastructure that will improve domestic connectivity for industrial and social welfare.

Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has always emphasized on making roads safe for all. He issued specific instructions to officials to focus on road safety more than income generated by the transport department. A Road Safety Council was set up with a fund of Rs. 10 crores. While Chandrababu Naidu acted as the Council’s President, Raghava Rao was appointed as Vice-President. Observing that many deaths due to road accidents occurred because of two-wheeler riders not wearing head protection (helmet), Raghava Rao made it mandatory for all to wear helmets. A study was carried out to identify accident prone areas and mark them for immediate repair. The Roads department moved swiftly to repair them, thus reducing accident rate in a big way. Andhra Pradesh did tremendous progress in 2015 when Road accidents decreased by several notches.

As per directions from Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, the Transport Department under the leadership of Raghava Rao took the step of providing 83 RTA services online, thus eliminating middlemen from the system leading to great savings for the citizens. Because of the several effective measures taken, the Transport department was able to achieve a phenomenal 40% revenue growth rate during 2015-16. Compared to Rs.1,517 Crores revenue in FY 2013-2014, AP Government collected Rs. 2,218 crores in 2015-2016.

The R&B Department also took up roads construction in a big scale connecting villages to towns, towns to cities and cities to other States. Existing State highways were repaired, new highways were laid and CC roads were laid in thousands of villages, covering even the remotest ones. With financial support from NABARD and RDF, 5,400 kms. long roads were developed by the R&B department. Raghava Rao commissioned an Australian organisation’s help to evaluate the condition of 46,404 kms. of roads in the State with the help of advanced data procured on the ground.

Bus stations in Andhra Pradesh underwent amazing transformation during 2014-16. Passenger amenities such as washrooms, waiting area and others wore a new, clean and classy look. For the first time ever in Andhra Pradesh, 5G Wi-Fi services were provided at the Pandit Nehru Bus Station. 84 JNNURM buses equipped with GPS service were pressed into service. An additional 30 new AC buses and 311 new services were implemented during Raghava Rao’s tenure as minister. In a first of its kind initiative, APSRTC began to explore the usage of bus stations as commercial spaces which can generate revenue for the corporation. Today, the commercial spaces are generating sizeable revenue which is being used to offset the losses accrued by the corporation.

A new journey…
In a cabinet expansion initiated by Chandrababu Naidu, Raghava Rao was made the Minister for Environment, Forests, Science & Technology. He declared that his department would take strong action against anti-social elements who indulge in poaching, felling of precious trees and smuggling. He has even warned government officials that they will not be spared if they are found to be collaborating or acting in a lax manner.

Honours, decorations, awards and distinctions
“Indira Priyadarshini” Award by National Unity Conference, New Delhi •	“Jewel of India”International President Council, New Delhi •	“Sri Vasavi” – Vasavi Seva Samithi Guntur •	“Ghantasala Sevaratna” by Ghantasala National Arts Academy, Hyderabad •	“Sahiti Poshaka” Abhinava Krishna Devaraya’ – Akshara Sahiti – Ongole •	“Dharma Prakash ‘’ Award – 2013 at Bangalore by All India Arya Vysya Maha Sabha