Govt plans hassle - free conduct of Ganesh fest

On the directions of the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who is in Delhi now, a high-level meeting was held at Secretariat to review the arrangements for the forthcoming Ganesh festival in the city on Wednesday.

Major Industries Minister J Geeta Reddy held the meeting which was attended by Marketing Minister Mukesh Goud, Labour Minister Danam Nagendar, Chief Secretary PK Mohanty, DGP Dinesh Reddy and the members of Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Committee, including BJP national vice-president Bandaru Dattatreya. It was agreed in the meeting that the festival should be held in a serene and calm atmosphere keeping up with the tradition of Hyderabad.

Geeta Reddy assured all cooperation to the Utsav Committee and said all arrangements would be made for the smooth conduct of the festival. Additional cranes, drinking water, repairing of roads and uninterrupted supply of power would be taken up immediately. Steps are being taken for barricading of en-route Ganesh procession and to provide approach roads at various immersion points, arranging platforms, clearing stones, debris etc., in the streets and illumination of streets from where processions would take place.

Measures have been taken to provide boats and deploy swimmers (divers) on the day of immersion. Ambulances were being arranged and steps were taken to provide first aid medicine with Para-medical staff at the reception centres at Pandals on the main routes of the processions. Required number of fire tenders and rescue ladders would be made available.

The GHMC Commissioner MT Krishna Babu said that Rs 17 crore was sanctioned for road repairs and more than 50 per cent of the works were over and the rest of the works would be completed on war footing. Works regarding sanitation and debris clearance would also be taken up.

The Chief Secretary said he would hold separate meetings on important issues with the officials concerned and issue directions from time to time.