Visakha Utsav to begin on Feb 3

Visakhapatnam: Minister for Human Resource Development Ganta Srinivasa Rao reviewed the arrangements to be made for the three-day Visakha Utsav beginning from February 3, along with Collector Praveen Kumar, DCP Naveen Gulati and other district officials, here on Tuesday.

Later, the Minister told reporters that the Visakha Utsav will be conducted on February 3, 4 and 5 and unlike earlier, the festival, which consists of various cultural events, will be held on the Rama Krishna Beach between Hotel Novotel and Vuda Park so that the visitors could witness all the events with family members.

He said though the mega annual event was scheduled to begin on January 28, following the directive of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu it was rescheduled for February 3 without overlapping the recently concluded CII Partnership Summit.

With the huge response from the youth, students and women in the last year’s event, the government has declared Visakha Utsav as State Festival and sanctioned Rs 2.75 crore for organising the event.

The government has been focusing on the state development on one hand and implementation of welfare schemes on the other hand besides protecting the art, culture and tradition of the state by organising various festivals, the Minister pointed out.

He said on January 13, 14 and 15, Kakinada Beach Festival was held and earlier to that Lepakshi Festival was conducted.

The Minister said that various art and cultural events besides the replicas of important temples in Uttarandhra will be displayed.

Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu will inaugurate the event and among other VIPs, Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, Union Minister Sujana Chowdary and State Ministers will also participate, he added.