Rajahmundry: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu offered Jala Harathi to the River Godavari amidst vedic chants and slokas by the priests and offered silk garments, bangles and turmeric powder in a ceremonial manner at Pushkar ghat here on Thursday.
Speaking on the occasion, he underlined the importance to adore and worship rivers and water resources to derive multiple benefits from them. Taking pride for offering Harathi to Akhanda Godavari, the CM said that the River Godavari has become a lifeline to the state and added that as Sir Arthur Cotton constructed a barrage at Dowleswaram, the soil in the Godavari districts has become fertile helping cultivation of crops and bringing prosperity to the people. "I'm privileged to have conducted Godavari Pushkaralu two times as a chief minister. First time in 2003 and again in 2015," he said and added that on the lines of the River Ganges, they were offering Nitya Harathi to Godavari also.
He said that the Maha Sankalpam performed during the Pushkaralu helped them to execute Patiseema and Purushottapatnam lift irrigation schemes at short period to keep the state away from drought. Mr Naidu said that through Pattiseema project, nearly 105 tmc ft of Godavari water was diverted to Krishna delta and created wealth to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore, as farmers raised crops and added that if there was no diversion of Godavari water, the Krishna delta could have turned as a desert.
The CM laid stress to worship the rivers on a regular basis and said that as many as 28 projects taken up at a cost of '13,000 crore would be completed by March next year. He said that water is indispensable to develop the state and added that 40 rivers, 40,000 tanks and 50,000 check dams were helping the state not to face any drought.
Maintaining that the state was going to get lakhs of crores as investment shortly, the CM vowed to provide monthly stipend to the unemployed youth and also to set up Anna Canteens to provide nutritious diet at subsidised price.
Earlier, he inaugurated the newly built Rajahmundry urban police district office at a cost of Rs 14 crore and addressed the armed reserve women police constables. He felt the need that more number of women should play active role in several sectors and added that in order to bring the women to the fore; they were providing 33 per cent reservation in education and employment to the women. He also inaugurated municipal corporation office building taken up at a cost of Rs 20 crore.
