Harish performs 'Bhoomi Puja' for Hare Krishna cultural centre

Sangareddy: Finance Minister T Harish Rao on Sunday performed the 'Bhumi Puja' for the Hare Krishna Cultural Centre and Radhakrishna temple, which is being built under the auspices of the Akshaya Patra Foundation. at

Addressing the gathering, he hoped that "this would blossom into a great centre promoting our ancient orthodox heritage and culture and imparting spirituality. "Spirituality is essential to lead a peaceful life. Due to devotion and attention, we can do planned tasks with more strength," Rao observed, complementing the Hare Krishna Foundation for taking up many good programmes.

Rao said irrespective of names like Bhojanamritham, Annapurna, Saddimuta, the government and the foundation together provide meals to 65,000 people every day. In the past 10 years, lakhs have been starving, he added. He said along with the historic Osmania Hospital, the government had started a programme of providing meals to attendants of patient for Rs 5 in 18 government hospitals under the GHMC. "God can ensure works which cannot be done by law, police, or government. God has the power to guide us in the right way. If the cultural centre needs any help, give me a chance to help personally," offered Rao.

Earlier, the minister visited the Girls Social Welfare Residential School in Isnapur. He, along with MP K Prabhakar Reddy, checked the hostel building, kitchen and dining hall and also inquired about quality of food provided to students. He asked the staff to offer nutritious food to students. When students complained that they did not get textbooks, the minister called Social Welfare secretary Ronald Ross on phone and directed him to provide books. He asked the staff to boil drinking water before serving it to students in the wake of pollution because of rain.