AP govt ensures peaceful Ganesh festival

Hyderabad, Aug 25: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy said the government will ensure a peaceful nine-day long Ganesh festival, commencing on August 27.

Reviewing arrangements for the festival along with Minister for Home K Jana Reddy, Minister for Energy Shabbir Ali, and senior officials of various departments here, the Chief Minister yesterday said that the government was ready to meet any situation and prevent any untoward incident during the festival.

He assured to provide more facilities than what was provided in the previous years.

The Chief Minister hoped that the festival being celebrated in the state capital with religious fervour and gaiety, would reflect the unity and harmony among all sections of society. He appealed to the members of the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi, whose members were also present at the meet, to extend their cooperation to the government in smooth conduct of the festival.

He urged the general public to maintain peace and tranquility with mutual understanding and amity among all sections of the society.

Against this year's 10 per cent power tariff hike for the Ganesh Mandaps, Dr Reddy assured the people that tariff would be as per the rates charged last year only and directed the power officials accordingly. He also directed the officials to ensure supply of quality rice, wheat, additional quota of sugar and kerosene during the festive period.

The Chief Minister directed the DGP Swaranjit Sen to make elaborate bandobust and surveillance arrangements during day and night at the pandals and processions, during the festival.

Earlier, Principal Secretary, Home M A Basit said 75 cranes were being pressed into service, for immersion.

Discussions had taken place on issues relating to arranging of platforms, illumination of streets enroute procession, seven ambulances, first-aid medicine with para-medical staff at the reception centres and pandals.

On the main routes of the procession required number of fire tenders and rescue ladders, drinking water, sanitation, providing of adequate lorries for the organisers, running of MMTS trains during the entire night and providing adequate number of city services by APSRTC till mid night on the immersion day, uninterrupted power supply and sufficient number of boats and expert divers on the day of immersion were also discussed in detail, the Chief Minister added.

UNI