Special officers appointed for Saraswati Pushkaralu; Minister Sridhar Babu inspects preparations

IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu inspecting the works of Kaleshwaram Pushakralu at Kaleshwaram with District Collector Rahul Sharma, SP Kiran Khare and other officials on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: By Arrangment

To ensure effective sanitation management during the upcoming Saraswati Pushkaralu, the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (PR & RD) Department has appointed 50 special officers. These include four District Panchayat Officers (DPOs), four District Level Panchayat Officers (DLPOs), 14 Mandal Parishad Development Officers (MPDOs), and 28 Mandal Panchayat Officers (MPOs). They will report to the Jayashankar Bhupalpally Collector and coordinate with ground-level staff to maintain cleanliness throughout the festival.

The 12-day Saraswati Pushkaralu will begin on May 15 at Triveni Sangamam near Kaleshwaram, where the Godavari, Pranahita, and the invisible Saraswati rivers converge. The State government is making elaborate preparations to ensure the event is a grand success.

As part of these efforts, IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu, who represents the Manthani Assembly constituency that includes Kaleshwaram, inspected the arrangements on Sunday. He stressed the need for quality in all works related to the festival, particularly in sanitation, electrification and security. He also directed officials to prepare a minute-to-minute schedule to ensure smooth conduct of the festivities.

The Minister conducted an inspection of key areas, including the VIP ghat, the Goddess Saraswati statue, and other sites. He directed officials to expedite pending works, such as completing the main building for Pindapradhanam, and recommended robust security measures for pilgrims. He also called for special officers from the Endowments Department to oversee the special Aarti programme.

The government is setting up a tent city in Kaleshwaram, with provisions for temporary lighting, toilets and uninterrupted power supply. Daily food distribution for devotees, along with transportation and crowd control arrangements, will also be in place. A 17-foot monolithic idol of Goddess Saraswati has been placed at the newly built Saraswati Ghat.

With the Chief Minister and Governor expected to visit during the festival, the government is making all efforts to ensure a grand and successful celebration. The Minister instructed officials to install street lights, repair roads, and ensure cleanliness throughout the town. He also emphasised the importance of maintaining quality in all works and warned contractors that action will be taken if quality is compromised.

Principal Secretary of the Endowments Department Shailaja Ramiyer, Endowments director S. Venkata Rao, Jayashankar Bhupalpally Collector Rahul Sharma and Superintendent of Police (SP) Kiran Khare accompanied him.