Denduluru MLA and Government Whip Chintamaneni Prabhakhar kicked up another controversy on Monday when he abandoned his car at the Kaza highway toll plaza near Guntur, reportedly following a heated exchange with the toll collection staff.
According to local media reports, the TDP MLA and his family were travelling in a car towards Vijayawada on Monday, when Kaza toll plaza staff asked for the toll fee, which every vehicle is ordinarily required to pay.
Lawmakers like MLAs, MLCs and MPs along with other dignitaries, are exempted from paying the toll fee. However, as Chitamaneni's vehicle didn't have a number plate and the MLA sticker was also missing, the staff sought payment of toll fee despite his repeated claims of exemption.
TDP MLA Chinthamaneni Prabhakar takes a bus at Kaza toll gate,Guntur. MLA’ s car was stopped to pay toll fee. Despite repeated attempts by MLA to explain there is exemption for MLAs on toll fee, the officials didn’t listen. Frustrated- he took a bus and left. #AndhraPradesh #TDP pic.twitter.com/cgz9uJryln
— Rishika Sadam (@RishikaSadam) December 18, 2018
Agitated by the demand of the toll plaza staff, Chintamaneni left in a huff abandoning his car on the road. He and his family then took a state-run RTC bus.
The MLA later complained to higher officials of the Kaza Toll Plaza, which falls under the National Highways Authority of India.
The matter didn’t escalate further as the Toll Plaza management apologised to the MLA for the inconvenience. Giving an explanation, the management said that its staff were confused as the vehicle didn't have a number plate or a sticker. The management also promised to avoid a repeat of such incidents.
Chintamaneni is not new to controversies. In September, the Vijayawada city police had arrested two persons, believed to be his close aides, for allegedly violating traffic rules and attacking a traffic constable.