OOTY: The 3-day Annual Flower Show at the famed Government Botanical Garden (GBG) here, 121st edition this summer, a glamour of flowers, got off to a special start this year as the Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisamy inaugurated the show on Friday morning.
Incidentally, he is the first Chief Minister in the last two decades and the first in this millennium to participate in the flower show, a major crowd puller in summer here. While Jayalalithaa as Chief Minister had inaugurated the show in 1992 and the centenary edition of the show in 1995, M. Karunanidhi had inaugurated the show in 1997 when he was in power.
While flowers in more than 100 varieties grown in 15,000 pots in the traditional flower show gallery are adding to the charm as usual, the mega-flower sculptures such as the replica of Mahabalipuram shore temple, made out of 1.25 lakh carnation flowers measuring 25-ft in length and 26-ft in height and the flower model of Hornbill made out of colourful carnation and rose flowers were the cynosure of all eyes. This apart, a structure of flowers for the “selfie” addicts and arrangement of pots numbering 6,000 in the new garden area exhibited the colours of the flower show.
The other star attraction was certainly the chief minister Palanisami, who stole the show. He wisely utilised the opportunity to answer to the other faction in AIADMK on how is political career blossomed since 1974 and how he became the confidant of late chief minister Jayalalithaa.
Waxing eloquence on Jayalalithaas’ rule and the schemes such as as creation of Rose Garden, Tea Park, underground power station at Pykara in Nilgiris, Palanisami, quoting Abraham Lincoln, said that it is important to see whether the people were by the side of the government and added that certainly the people “are with the AIADMK government that would live up to their expectations”.
He also announced that Rs 2 crore has been allotted to modernise the central bus stand in Ooty.
Later speaking to media persons, Mr. Palanisami said that the Assembly session would be convened soon. Mr. S.P.Velumani, the minister for municipal administration and R.Duraikannu, the minister for Agriculture also spoke on the occasion.
