SIDDIPET: Finance Minister T Harish Rao, on Friday, said that the State government is spending enormous amounts for the development of temples across Telangana. This tradition was started by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, he added. Harish was taking part in a ceremony organised to consecrate the idol of Sri Venkateswara Swamy, along with the idols of Sridevi and Bhudevi, at the Venkateswara Swamy temple in Dubbaka on Friday.
The Venkateswara Swamy temple was constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 10 crore. Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar Swamy, Medak MP K Prabhakar Reddy, local MLA M Raghunandan Rao and several others were present. Speaking on the occasion, Harish said that in erstwhile AP, temple funds were used for the needs of the government. “But in Telangana, the government is using its own funds as well for the development of temples,” he added.
Mentioning that the State government gave Rs 4.25 crore for the construction of the Venkateswara Swamy temple, while the Chief Minister contributed Rs 1 crore personally, Harish pointed out that Telangana has been naming irrigation projects after gods. He further said that Telangana stands number one in per capita income, among all southern States.