Sai Baba felicitated in Chennai

Chennai, Jan 21 (UNI) Shri Satya Sai Baba was felicitated for his work for the Kandaleru-Poondi Canal under the Telugu Ganga Project at a function here, attended by a galaxy of leaders, including chief ministers and Union Ministers.

It was a ''thanksgiving'' function organised by the Chennai Citizens' Conclave to express the gratitude of the people of the city towards the Godman for carrying out refurbishing works of the Kandaleru-Poondi Canal under the Telugu Ganga Project to bring drinking water to the state capital.

Apart from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, his counterparts from Maharashtra and Karnataka H D Kumaraswamy and Vilasrao Deshmukh respectively, Union Ministers Lalu Prasad, Shivraj Patil, Dayanidhi Maran, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu Governors S M Krishna and S S Barnala respectively and Tamil Nadu Ministers Duraimurugan and M K Stalin attended the function.

Stars from the Tamil film industry, corporate executives, and IAS and IPS officers were present.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekara Reddy could not make it but had deputed two of his Cabinet colleagues -- Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah and Tourism Minister Geeta Reddy -- to the function.

Justifying his participation in the function despite being an atheist, Mr Karunanidhi said both he and Sai Baba were serving humanity.

''Sai Baba's gesture of serving humanity gives me hope, courage and strength to carry on the welfare measures to eradicate poverty and implement other good schemes,'' he added.

''We both have been on our long journey like the rivers Cauvery and Kollidam in serving the people,'' he said.

''Both Kollidam and Cauvery might have different names. But water flows through them and reaches the paddy field,'' he said.

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