WARANGAL: With only four more months to go for the Sammakka-Saralamma Mega Jatara in Mulugu, the state government is yet to release the funds for works to be taken up to make arrangements for the devotees.
The four-day jatara witnesses a footfall of more than one crore devotees from Telangana and neighbouring states and needs arrangements on similar scale. With the state government not opting to take up works of permanent facilities at the shrine this year also, the devotees will have to make do with temporary facilities as usual.
However, even temporary works were not taken up till date even as only four months remain for the start of the jatara. While the jatara officially begins on February 16, lakhs of devotees start arriving at the shrine from December itself.
The Mulugu district administration has sent proposals to the government for various development works worth Rs 111.91 crore.
So far, however, no orders have been received from the government on the release of funds. The government is due to review with superiors before deciding how much funding to allocate to any department. However, due to time constraints, delays in the release of funds are likely to lead to delays in tenders and affect the quality of work. After the then TD government declared Medaram Mahajatra as a state festival in 1996, the fair was celebrated for the first time in Telangana in 2016.
The government allocated Rs 132 crore for the arrangements that year and then reduced it to Rs 80.55 crore in 2018, and further to Rs 75 crore in 2020.
Toilets, bathing areas, dredging in Jampanna Vagu, construction of internal roads, sanitation and drinking water facilities are being carried out on a temporary basis only. It is to be seen how the state allocates funds this time.
Meanwhile, the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic is also a cause of worry with warnings being issued that the third wave is likely during January and April. It is a herculean task to maintain Covid-19 appropriate behaviour at a place where the density of public is high.
