Padma Awardee Turlapati Kutumba Rao passes away

Veteran journalist, writer and Padma Shri awardee Turlapati Kutumba Rao passed away in the early hours of Monday. He was 89-years old.

Mr. Rao had the distinction of being a personal secretary to Tanguturi Prakasam, the first Chief Minister of Andhra State.

A native of Vijayawada, Mr. Rao had worked as editor and editorial writer of Telugu newspaper

Andhra Jyothi for close to three-and-a-half decades. He won laurels for translating into Telugu the speeches of many national leaders and stalwarts.

Mr. Rao had addressed a record number of public meetings, which earned him a slot in the Guinness Book of World Records. He authored biographies of several important people, patriots and freedom fighters.

The Government of India had honoured him with Padma Shri in 2002 for his valuable contribution to journalism, literature and arts.