The state government will write to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and the Central government urging them to install the statues of former president Neelam Sanjiva Reddy and former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao at Parliament, chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has said.
He was speaking at the inaugural function of the birth centenary celebrations of the sixth president of India, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, at Ravindra Barathi here on Sunday.
Responding to the proposals made by revenue minister N Raghuveera Reddy during his presidential speech earlier, the chief minister agreed to name the proposed Andhra Pradesh Revenue Academy and the Anantapur Medical College after Sanjiva Reddy.
The chief minister also accepted the other proposals of the revenue minister. Accordingly, a statue of Sanjiva Reddy, the first chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, will be installed at Srisailam project as Srisailam hydel project had been converted into a multipurpose project following his initiative. Illur village in Anantapur district, where Sanjiva Reddy was born 100 years ago, will be developed as a model village and funds will be sanctioned to Anantapur Arts College, where he studied.
Stating that he had met Sanjiva Reddy twice, the chief minister said he was the only person in the history of Indian Parliament to quit party membership before accepting Lok Sabha Speaker’s post. Sanjiva Reddy also served as the first deputy chief minister of Andhra state. Governor ESL Narasimhan, who launched the birth centenary celebrations, said normally politicians chase posts, but the posts came to Sanjiva Reddy during his illustrious political career.
Stating that he too had got an opportunity to meet the great leader when he was posted as SP of Ananatapur district after completing IPS training, the Governor said like Sanjiva Reddy he too was a student of the Theosophical Society school, Adayar.
Sanjiva Reddy’s son Dr N Sudhir Reddy, grandson and great grandson were felicitated. Two books on the life of sanjiva Reddy were launched on the occasion. Earlier, the chief minister and the Governor went round the photo exhibition set up at Ravindra bharati.
Earlier, a documentary on Reddy was screened for the gathering. A Burra Katha on the life of Reddy was also performed by folk artistes.
Union ministers Panabaka Lakshmi and Killi Kruparani were among those present.
