HYDERABAD: Tribal Welfare Minister Satyavathi Rathod has requested Union Tribal Welfare Minister Arjun Munda to declare Medaram Jatara as a national festival, which would help it to gain national and international focus. Satyavathi Rathod submitted a memorandum to this effect to Arun Munda, who visited Medaram Jatara on Saturday.
She apprised the Union Minster that the Medaram Jatara had been declared a State festival in 1998. The last jatara in 2018 had a footfall of over one crore pilgrims. About 1.50 crore pilgrims are visiting the jatara this year, Satyavathi said.
In another memorandum to Arjun Munda, she urged the Union Minister to sanction eight Ekalavya Schools to the State in Indervelly, Narnoor, Cherla, Dummugudem, Mukalapally, Singareni Kothagudem and Gudur mandals. She also requested Munda to sanction `40.12 crore to Telangana for implementing livelihood programmes in tribal areas. She urged him to sanction `10 crore for strengthening the Tribal Sainik School in Warangal Rural district.She also wanted Munda to sanction 48 more mini-Gurukulams to the State. “At present, there are 29 mini-Gurukulams in TS. There are still 48 mandals where the ST population is more than 25 per cent of the population and where female literacy rate is below 35 per cent. There are no mini-Gurukulams here,” she said.