Telangana: Saraswati Pushkaralu Works Delayed
This is the first Saraswati Pushkaralu to be held after the Telangana state was formed. The previous event was held in 2013 in undivided Andhra Pradesh during the reign of the Congress government
Warangal: Less than 48 hours to go, most are yet to be completed for the Saraswati Pushkaralu at Kaleshwaram in Mahadevpur mandal of Jayashankar Bhupalpally district. The event starts on May 15 and concludes on May 24.
The government had sanctioned Rs.25 crore for taking up 65 developmental projects by May 4. That deadline was missed, and a cut-off date of May 10 was given. Four days after the updated deadline, many works were left pending, thanks to the negligence of officials and contactors.
Among the incomplete works are the 20-feet Saraswati Devi statue and Godavari aarti ghats, arch gates at entry points, concrete flooring, lighting and steel railing works. Devotees may have it tough because permanent rest and changing rooms, drinking water tanks, approach roads, pilgrim sheds and queue lines are not ready. Compound walls and prasadam preparation halls are also not ready.
A Kaleshwaram temple official told Deccan Chronicle said that even though the government sanctioned funds one and a half month back, the lack of coordination between the departments and contractors resulted in slow pace of works.
During his recent visit, IT minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu had pulled up officials for the poor quality works and not completing the work even with two deadlines having passed.
With little time left, officials were rushing the work through by taking up temporary and makeshift constructions, he noted.
This is the first Saraswati Pushkaralu to be held after the Telangana state was formed. The previous event was held in 2013 in undivided Andhra Pradesh during the reign of the Congress government.
The government allocated Rs.9.96 crore to the endowment department for 28 works, Rs.5.31 crore to the irrigation department for four works, Rs.3.01 crore to the panchayat raj department for seven works, Rs.2.28 crore to the Mission Bhagiratha and water supply department for taking up 15 works and Rs.99.39 lakh to the electricity department for 11 works. Another Rs.4 crore was allocated for developmental works to be taken after the Pushkaralu at Kaleshwaram.
