Celebrate Channa Reddy Centenary Fete: Rosaiah

Recalling the services of former united-AP Chief Minister late Dr Marri Channa Reddy, former Chief Minister and former Governor K Rosaiah today said that the Channa Reddy centenary celebrations would be conducted by the Congress on a grand note.

Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh would deliver the Channa Reddy memorial lecture in February, he added.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Rosaiah said that his party would launch the centenary celebrations on January 13 which would mark the 99th birth anniversary of Dr Reddy, and that programs would be organized throughout the year in the latter's honour.

He said that Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayana Swamy, too, would be participating in the program on January 13.

Reminiscing about the late Chief Minister, the former Governor said that Dr Reddy was an outstanding administrator who always thought and acted like a statesman. Reddy's long and illustrious political career began as a freedom fighter, and post-independence, he was the youngest member of the Provisional Parliament in 1950 at the age of 31 and a cabinet minister in the then-Hyderabad State in 1952 at the age of 33. He was also a signatory to the Gentlemen's Agreement in 1956 at the time of the formation of Andhra Pradesh. His contributions as a minister in the old Hyderabad State and as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh twice, as also as Governor of five states, had been exemplary, said Rosaiah.

Sharing details about the proposed celebrations, Rosaiah said that the Birth Celebrations Committee had proposed to hold five to six seminars during the centenary year on the contributions made by Dr Reddy, including on various programs that were implemented during his time like the Remote Area Development Program and the Cyclone Emergency Reconstruction Program aided by the World Bank; and on his commitment towards social justice and secularism to promote communal harmony.

He said that besides the Congress, various organisations, institutions and individuals, too, had expressed their eagerness in celebrating the centenary anniversary of the late CM in a befitting manner, and added that it would be good if the Telangana government conducted the Channa Reddy centenary celebrations officially.