State braces for mega event

​Hyderabad: The State will set a world record of sorts by celebrating in a grand manner the ‘Maha Bathukamma’ celebrations across the State on October 8, Culture and Tourism Minister A Chandulal said on Friday.

He held a video conference with Collectors on the first day of the State festival along with government advisor K V Ramana Chary, Sanskritika Sarathi Chairman Rasamayi Balakishan, Tourism secretary B Venkatesham and others at the Secretariat here.

Speaking on the occasion the Minister directed the Collectors to conduct the festival by ensuring participation of women in large number. He directed the police to make security arrangements for Saddula Bathukamma festival to be celebrated on October 9.

Extending greetings to the womenfolk on the occasion, Chandulal asked the officials to make the arrangements reflecting the Telangana State Culture and tradition. Efforts would be made to ensure that Hyderabad would emerge a global city, he maintained.

The Bathukamma festival is celebrated by the women with much enthusiasm. He also said that a large number of women would participate in the festival to be conducted in open air auditoria. The government would encourage the districts to compete for the best performance of the festival with a prize money of Rs 5 lakh as first prize, Rs 3 lakh for second prize and Rs 2 lakh for third prize.