KADAPA: The district administration’s directive to the 85 families residing near the Sri Kodandarama Swamy temple at Vontimitta to vacate their houses and hand them over to it to make necessary arrangements for the conduct of the Lord’s Kalyanotsavam on a grand note, has caused strong resentment among them.
District collector K V Ramana, who went to Vontimiita on Tuesday, organised a meeting with the residents at the Harita Guest House in the village and asked them to extend their cooperation by vacating their houses by March 17.
“Of course, it is very painful for any family to vacate its residence and shift to a new location. But, you should vacate and hand over your houses for celebrating the God’s festival,’’ the DC urged the families.
Stating that they were expecting a turnout of 2 lakh devotees for witnessing the Lord’s Kalyanotsavam, which would be organised with official honours for the first time at the behest of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, the collector told the residents that the district administration had to complete the arrangements on a war-footing.
Urging the families to extend their cooperation to the administration by vacating and handing over their houses to the latter, the collector assured them that the government would construct pucca houses for all of them at a site one km away from the temple.
He also said that the CM, who would come to the Vontimitta temple for offering ‘Muthyala Thalambralu’ and ‘Pattu Vasthralu’ to the presiding deity at temple on March 28, would also lay the foundation stone for he Kodanda Rama Swamy Nagar, where houses would be constructed for all the evicted families.
Asserting that the said colony, with all the required infrastructure including roads, electricity, drinking water, etc., would be completed in five months, the DC appealed to the families to take temporary shelter in police quarters and hostel buildings.
He said that the Srirama Navami festival would be celebrated on a grand note this year.