On the occasion of 150th anniversary of Rai Bahadoor Veenam Veeranna, the first Telugu engineer from this region, Union Minister for Civil Aviation P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju released a brochure brought out jointly in his honour by Buddiga Sai Ganesh, research scholar in History and Veenam Siva Prasad Rao, great grandson of Veenam Veeranna (5th generation) and Assistant Engineer here on Friday.
Mr. Sai Ganesh said that Veenam’s ancestors were the natives of Vizianagaram. They, however, with the active support of Poosapati Anand Gajapathi Raju, then Maharajah of Vizianagaram, moved to Rajahmahendravaram in 1759 A.D. Later, Veenam Veeranna, who was a supervisor in irrigation then, joined Sir Arthur Cotton as a Sub-Engineer and played a key role in the construction of Dowleswaram Barrage, he added.
The colourful pictorial brochure of Veeranna has a medal with inscription “Rai Bahadoor” presented to him by Queen Victoria, his name on a plaque at the headlock at Dowleswaram Barrage, and a Sthupam (pillar) by Bulusu Samba Murty, president of Madras Legislative Council, on the banks of River Godavari.
Former Member of Parliament D.V.G. Sankar Rao, philanthropist P. Narasimha Raju, and others were present.
