Rayalaseema Parirakshana Samithi president Byreddy Rajasekhara Reddy, who is personally creating the infrastructure for conducting Krishna Pushkarams at his native village Muchumarri in Kurnool district, said on Thursday that he would move the High Court challenging the directive of the officials to stop the ongoing works and impose prohibitory orders under IPC Section 144 in and around the village.
Mr. Reddy has taken up construction of a pushkar ghat, a koneru (tank), renovation of dilapidated temples and repairs of roads and bridges in Muchumarri for pushkarams with financial contributions from local farmers.
The RPS chief told the media here that on August 12 he would inaugurate the Krishna Pushkarams at Muchumarri and instal a two-tonne panchaloha idol of Goddess Annapurna Devi, sculpted near Ambattur in Tamil Nadu. Accusing the government and the district authorities of ignoring his native village which is on the banks of the Krishna in sanctioning pushkaram works, Mr. Reddy said attempts were being made to stall his private initiative to create facilities for pilgrims to take a holy dip, offer prayers and ‘pinda padanam’ at Muchumarri.
‘Safe place for pilgrims’
Sangameswaram would not be convenient for a holy dip and darshan, while the Kothapalle pushkar ghat could be submerged if the water level in the river rose. Having a dip in the ghat at Pathalaganga in Srisailam was risky, he said. Muchumarri was a safer place but fearing that the village would steal the limelight the government was imposing curbs on the ongoing works there, he alleged.
Mr. Rajasekhara Reddy said the Muchumarri gram panchayat passed a unanimous resolution to conduct Krishna Pushkaram at the village and gave him the permission to create facilities with people’s contributions. He dismissed the claims that he did not take permission from the district collector.
The RPS leader said the Chief Minister would be held responsible if the official machinery targeted or stopped the pilgrims from going to Muchumarri during the pushkarams.
