Due to fund crunch, officials are reportedly finding it difficult to make arrangements for Vizianagara Utsavam, which is celebrated every year along with Sri Pyditalli Ammavarai festival. Tollellu and Sirimanotsavam of Pyditalli Ammavaru will be celebrated on October 14 and 15 and Vizianagaram Utsavam is planned on October 12, 13 and 14.
Last year, the district administration spent around ₹90 lakh for the festival, which included book exhibition, flower show, musical concert and a comedy show with popular TV anchors. Normally, the departments would spend their own funds and adjust the amount after the release of funds by the government. The government issued a GO in October, 2018 but failed to release the funds even after one year. The officials of many departments are unable to answer queries of the higher-ups over the diversion of funds.
‘No special programmes’
After the bitter experience, many departments have rejected the proposal to ‘adjust’ funds for Vizianagara Utsavam-2019 for which the government had not given any budgetary support.
With the involvement of Minister for Tourism Muttamesetti Srinivasa Rao, the government issued the orders but actual disbursement of funds has not taken place. In this background, the district administration decided to spend only ₹30 lakh for the festival.
Cost-effective programmes such as painting competition, playlets, flower show, old book exhibition, devotional music concert, rangoli and others were planned this year. Joint Collector K. Venkataramana Reddy said that the administration was very careful about expenditure this time and cancelled special programmes in Ayodhya Maidan where comedy show of TV anchors was performed in October last year. The officials spent nearly ₹45 lakh for the show and musical concert in Ayodhya Maidan. The administration could not clear bills of contractors and suppliers due to lack of budgetary support.
Road repairs
Meanwhile, the Vizianagaram Municipal Corporation decided to spend ₹20 lakh for road repairs and other civic amenities separately. Municipal Commissioner S.S. Varma said that roads would sport a decent look in a couple of days, ahead of Ammavari festival in which more than three lakh people are expected to have ‘darshan’ of the presiding deity.
