HYDERABAD: Amidst Vedic chants, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday unveiled the Telangana Talli statue on the Secretariat premises.
The spectacular fireworks and a drone show that followed brought curtains down on the nine-day-long celebrations of the Congress government’s first anniversary.
Addressing the gathering that included Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, ministers, public representatives and thousands of citizens, mostly women, Revanth made it clear that the government has given statutory status to the Telangana Talli statue by issuing a GO and said those who try to redesign the statue in the future will be liable for legal action. He added that henceforth, December 9 would be celebrated as Telangana Talli Unveiling Day.
The CM announced that the government will honour and felicitate nine personalities who played a key role in the Telangana movement. “The government has decided to recognise, honor and support poets, artists and writers who lost everything for Telangana and contributed selflessly to the statehood movement,” he said.
Accordingly, Guda Anjaiah, Gaddar, Bandi Yadagiri, Andesri, Goreti Venkanna (BRS MLC), Suddala Ashok Teja, Jayaraju, senior journalist Pasham Yadagiri and Ekka Yadagiri Rao, the sculptor who designed the Martyrs Statue at Gun Park were recognised. The government will allot them a 300 sq yd plot at Future City and a cash prize of `1 crore along with a citation. Anjaiah, Gaddar and Yadagiri are being honored posthumously.
“When I see the Telangana Talli statue, it reminds me of my mother. Others are saying the same. Mother is the only one we identify with in any part of the world. Mother is the embodiment of our culture and traditions,” the chief minister stated.
One person, one party prioritised themselves after state formation: CM
“Our culture was assaulted and insulted in the undivided Andhra Pradesh,” Revanth stated, alleging that after the formation of Telangana, one person and one political party gave priority to themselves and neglected the aspirations of the Telangana people.
He said that during the Telangana movement, BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao, former Union minister Ale Narendra and former MP Vijayasanthi designed different forms of Telangana Talli as per the needs of their political parties and installed these statues at various places. “However, after the formation of Telangana state, none of these designs was officially adopted by the government. For the last 10 years, Telangana Talli was discriminated against. Finally, the Cabinet decided to install the Telangana Talli statue to fulfil the aspirations of the people in the people’s government,” the chief minister added.
He continued: “The famous song “Jaya Jaya he Telangana”, which inspired us during the movement, was also not declared the state song for 10 years. The People’s Government (Congress government) declared the song as Telangana song. The felicitation of famous poet Andesri in the Secretariat will be part of my memories that will last a lifetime.”
The chief minister also criticised the previous BRS government for its decision to use TS instead of TG for vehicle registrations. He said that the BRS government’s decision was against the aspirations of statehood activists and that was the reason the Congress regime changed it to TG.
The chief minister said that Telangana was moving towards from crisis to welfare, corruption to development, destruction to reconstruction.
Indirectly referring to BRS leaders, he said: “Some people are feeling pain, anguish and sorrow. They think that these decisions are dangerous for their political survival. They forget Telangana was not achieved for the sake of one family or one political party.”
BRS failed to fulfill aspirations: Bhatti
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka alleged that the previous BRS government failed to fulfill the aspirations of the people.
“Telangana state was formed with surplus Budget, but the previous regime imposed a burden of Rs 7 lakh crore on the people. By not providing jobs and not protecting the state’s rightful share of water, BRS committed violence against the state,” he alleged.
The Deputy CM stated that the Congress government has so far repaid Rs 64,000 crore towards interests and principal for the loans taken by the BRS regime.
Stating that people of Telangana seek self-respect and freedom, he said that the government was ensuring freedom of speech in the state.
Vikramarka reeled off the achievements of the Congress regime in the last year — filling 51,000 government posts, providing free bus travel for women, interest-free loans worth Rs 20,000 crore for women, free power up to 200 units, LPG subsidy and free power to agriculture and the waiving of crop loans up to Rs 2 lakh to the tune of Rs 21,000 crore benefiting about 25 lakh farmers.
Recalling that Telangana attracted investments worth `36,000 during the chief minister’s Davos visit, Vikramarka said that Future City was being developed. Young India Sports University and Young India Skill University established.
Recalling the hike of diet charges by 40%, he asked the BRS to say whether it did the same in its 10 years in power.
“Praja Palana - Vijayotsvalu” celebrations conclude
During the nine days of “Praja Palana - Vijayotsvalu” celebrations, the chief minister laid foundation stones for various development works and dedicated to the nation a few projects, including Unit-2 of the Yadadri Thermal Power Station. The chief minister addressed the public meetings in Hyderabad, Nalgonda and Peddapalli. On the last day of the celebrations, December 9, the chief minister unveiled Telangana Talli statue at the Secretariat premises.
Felicitations
On the occasion, the chief minister and his Cabinet colleagues felicitated Toparapu Gangadhar, the in-charge Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru
Architecture and Fine Arts University, who designed
Telangana Talli statue, sculptor Ramana Reddy and poet Ande Sri.