NELLORE: Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Minister Ponguru Narayana has directed officials to make grand arrangements for the upcoming Roti festival at the renowned Bara Shaheed Dargah in Nellore. The festival is set to begin on July 6, and preparations were reviewed at a high-level meeting held on Sunday at SR Sankaran Hall in the Collectorate.
Narayana highlighted the historical significance of Bara Shaheed Dargah, and revealed that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has sanctioned Rs 5 crore specifically for the development of the dargah.
“Using these funds, we will construct a large prayer hall that can accommodate 20,000 devotees at once,” he said, adding that the project will be taken up under the supervision of NUDA (Nellore Urban Development Authority).
He instructed municipal officials to coordinate with the Joint Collector to ensure all required arrangements for devotees are completed on time.
Narayana expressed dissatisfaction over the delay in painting works at key urban locations. The Maud Minister directed officials to complete all painting works in the city within 45 days.
Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy appreciated Narayana’s efforts in securing Rs 5 crore for the Dargah’s development.
He revealed that under the leadership of State Waqf Board Chairman Abdul Aziz, the prayer hall design has been finalised and construction will soon begin.
NUDA Chairman Kotamreddy Srinivasulu Reddy assured that the tender process will be completed soon.