Minister for Tourism and Prohibition and Excise V. Srinivas Goud instructed officials to examine the helicopter services from Hyderabad to the Vemulawada temple shrine ahead of Sivaratri on February 21.
The Minister visited Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy Devasthanam in Vemulawada on Sunday to offer prayers. Later, he inspected the arrangements for Mahasivaratri Jatara, which would be held from February 20 to 22. He was accompanied by Vemulawada legislator Ch. Ramesh Babu, MLC Naradasu Laxman Rao and Collector D. Krishna Bhaskar.
At a review meeting, the Minister instructed officials to examine the feasibility of operating the helicopter services from Hyderabad to Vemulawada for the benefit of devotees during the festival. He said that devotees coming here in a helicopter should be provided a special darshan and food at Haritha hotel.
Informing the authorities to take up a poster campaign about the festival in Hyderabad, he said that the Tourism department would operate special buses to the Vemulawada temple shrine from Hyderabad.
He also instructed the officials to take all measures for the smooth conduct of the jatara and provide adequate facilities to devotees. He said that they would be organising cultural programmes at the temple shrine under the title “Shivarachana”.
Mr. Ramesh Babu asked officials to provide a chance to local artistes to perform during Shivarachana. Mr. Krishna Bhaskar instructed the officials to work with dedication during the jatara. Superintendent of Police Rahul Hedge said that they would deploy around 2,000 police personnel for bandobust duties from February 19 to ensure smooth conduct of the festival.
