Kaloji birth anniversary to be TS Dialect Day

• University to be named after the poet
• An award to be instituted in his name

Warangal: The birth anniversary of people’s poet Padma Vibhushan Kaloji Narayana Rao would be celebrated as ‘Telangana Dialect Day’ announced Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao here on Tuesday.

This announcement came in response to a request by Kaloji Foundation president Nagilla Rama Sastry who wanted the poet’s birth anniversary celebrated as ‘Telangana Bhasha Dinotsavam’.

Responding to the request the CM in his address at the birth centenary valedictory function organised at NIT auditorium by the district administration and Kaloji Foundation directed the tourism and culture secretary B P Acharya to issue a government order to that affect.

In a similar manner, the chief minister said a university would be named after the poet; an award in honour of Kaloji would be constituted, while conceding to the requests of Rama Sastry. Further, the State Assembly would pass a resolution seeking the centre to release a postal stamp commemorating the poet.

Chandrasekhar Rao during his address recalled his association with the poet and called him a ‘universal man’. He said Kaloji was an outspoken man and never compromised in upholding the values he believed in.

He was defiant and all his life has fought for the cause of common man and Telangana government runs on the ideals of Kaloji. In order to propagate the poet’s works at national and international level, efforts would be made by the state to translate his works into Hindi and English.

The chief minister has laid foundation stone for Kaloji Kala Kendram at Balasamudram in Hanamkonda. The cultural centre, he said, would have state of the art facilities and a building would be given to Kaloji Foundation to carry on its activities.

Referring to the welfare activities of the government, he said that first priority was alleviation of poverty in dalit colonies. The government wants to see at least one lakh landless dalits become land owners by the end of five years.

“I am troubled by learning that about four lakh people sleep on pavements in Hyderabad. Housing to the poor and land to dalits and minorities in the State given utmost importance,” he pointed out. There was no place for lies and deception in TRS rule.

Dy CM snubbed
“We promise what could be delivered. The government has just begun its work.” The TRS MLAs and ministers should be careful while speaking in public and avoid making false promises, he said while snubbing the deputy chief minister Dr T Rajaiah for promising to set up Health University wherever he goes. “Is it possible to deliver now, guard your tongue,” he told the Dy CM sitting on the dais. Speaker S Madhusudhana Chary, MPs K Keshava Rao and Kadiam Srihari and MLA D Vinay Bhasker spoke. District Collector G Kishan, tourism principal secretary B P Acharya and several others were present.