The government of Telangana has decided to organise ‘Godavari Pushkaralu’ on a large scale on the lines of ‘Kumbh Mela’ in the north. The government is planning to spend Rs. 452 crore for the event scheduled to be held in June-July.

Speaking after the Cabinet Sub-Committee meeting held here on Monday on ‘pushkaralu’, Minister for Housing and Endowments A. Indrakaran Reddy stated that the government would construct 69 bathing ‘ghats’ and carry out repairs on the existing 27 ‘ghats’ constructed in the past. The Vigilance Department would keep an eye on the construction of new ghats, he noted.

Ministers T. Harish Rao, T. Nageswara Rao and K. Tarakarama Rao and officials of Irrigation, Roads and Buildings and Panchayat Raj Departments participated in the meeting. Mr. Indrakaran Reddy explained that the new bathing ghats would come up at Basar and Dharmapuri.

As devotees and other visitors from across the country and abroad were likely to attend the event held every 12 years all arrangements, including setting up police control rooms would be made at bathing ghats, the Minister stated. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao would seek assistance from the Centre during his next visit to Delhi and would invite President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the event.

The government would depute senior officers to oversee the arrangements in five districts – Nizamabad, Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammam districts, the Minister said adding that Rs. 266 crore would be spent by the Roads and Building Department, Rs. 100 crore by Panchayat Raj and Rural Water Supply and Rs. 86 crore by the Irrigation Department for making the arrangements.