Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhara Rao has directed officials to revise the academic calendar by giving 15-day holiday for Bathukamma and Dasara and two days for Sankranti festival.

He asked them to earmark holidays in academic calendar for festivals in Telangana and measures be taken to ensure all government and private schools follow this holiday period.

The Chief Minister who released the special poster on ‘Koti Bathukammala Jatara’ brought out by Telangana Secretariat Women Employees Association here on Tuesday said the Bathukamma festival should be organised through out the State as a cultural festival. It should become the basis for revival of Telangana culture that was oppressed in the combined State, he said.

Bathukamma festival is not confined to a caste or religion but is celebrated by the entire Telangana society. Community celebration of festivals is a tradition in the State, he said.

Mr. Rao, who later reviewed the arrangements for ‘Bathukamma’, declared a State festival, said Telangana festivals were also subjected to discrimination in the united State. Telangana Secretariat Women Employees Association put up a huge colourful replica of ‘Bathukamma’ floral arrangement on the Secretariat premises and another one near Pochamma temple premises to mark commencement of festival from Wednesday.