Review Meeting To Ensure Smooth Ganesh Festival

Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar today directed officials from several departments - police, electricity, transportation, transport (RTC) and metro - to coordinate for the success of the upcoming 11-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival.

Alongside minister D Sridhar Babu, he held a preparatory meeting at the MCRHRD to review the arrangements for the festival and the immersion processions in Hyderabad.

During the meeting, the ministers discussed the preparations required from various departments, given that lakhs of people from Telangana and other States are expected to participate in the festival in the State capital.

Recalling that festivals like Ramzan, Muharram and Bonalu were successfully celebrated in the past, Ponnam expressed hope for a similar outcome for the Ganesh festival, and emphasized the need for strict action if any issues arose.

He also said that there was a possibility of a 10% increase in idols this year, and stressed the need for special arrangements accordingly. He urged officials to expedite work at the 141 logging points in the city and to set up baby ponds for immersion.

Minister Sridhar Babu emphasized that, in accordance with the Supreme Court's verdict, a large-scale campaign should be conducted to promote the use of clay idols instead of those made from Plaster Of Paris.

Rajya Sabha Member Anil Kumar Yadav, Deputy Mayor Mothe Srilatha Shobhan Reddy, DGP Jithender, Revenue Principal Secretary Naveen Mittal, the Collectors of Hyderabad and Medchal districts, the Commissioners of Police of Hyderabad and Rachakonda, MLAs and MLCs of Hyderabad, and others participated in the meeting.