RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: While most retired government employees eagerly await every Dearness Allowance hike, Pay Revision Commission arrears or carefully preserve their gratuity and provident fund savings for the future, retired headmaster Dunna Veerabhadra Rao chose a remarkably different path. Instead of accumulating wealth, he decided to distribute it among those who needed it the most.
A native of Kuthukudumilli village in U Kothapalli mandal near Pithapauram, the 67-year-old completed his B.Sc at Kakinada and B.Ed at Vizianagaram before serving in several government high schools across the East Godavari. He retired as headmaster in 2019 after nearly four decades of dedicated service. His wife passed away last year and they have no children. Living alone in his house, Veerabhadra Rao found a new purpose in serving society.
“I have no children. I lost my wife. At this stage of life, we cannot achieve anything by accumulating more wealth. It is better to distribute what remains among the needy,” he says. His retirement benefits became a source of hope for hundreds of people. One of his first initiatives was the renovation of the village function hall at Kothapalli with a cost of Rs 20 lakh which is useful for weddings, community gatherings and social functions.
The death of his wife inspired another act of compassion. Disturbed by the poor condition of the village cremation ground during her last rites, he spent nearly Rs 16 lakh to renovate the crematorium, ensuring that every individual receives dignity even in death. His generosity, however, began long before retirement.
Since joining the teaching profession in 1983, Veerabhadra Rao has contributed to every school where he served by donating tables, books and laptops to improve educational facilities. He later established an Old Students Service Organisation, which continues to support government schools with infrastructure.