Hyderabad: Minister for IT and Industries Duddilla Sridhar Babu directed officials to complete all Godavari Pushkaralu works by April next year. He also asked departments to coordinate under a special action plan for the event.
The State government planned to organise the upcoming Godavari Pushkaralu-2027 on the lines of the Kumbh Mela, Sridhar Babu said. He spoke at a meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Godavari Pushkaralu-2027 at the Assembly Committee Hall on Friday.
The Minister called for a detailed field-level assessment of arrangements made during the previous Pushkaralu. He directed officials to identify earlier challenges and ensure they were not repeated. Arrangements should also reflect the expected pilgrim footfall at each location.
Ministers Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Seethakka, Ponnam Prabhakar, Vivek Venkataswamy and Adluri Laxman Kumar attended the meeting. The Cabinet Sub-Committee reviewed preparations covering prominent temples, bathing ghats, transportation, infrastructure and other facilities.
Sridhar Babu said special officers had been appointed for every district to improve coordination between departments. Command and Control Centres with advanced technology were also being established at Tier-1 locations expected to see heavy pilgrim movement.
He said officials had conducted ghat-wise field studies with Collectors to identify additional requirements. These studies were aimed at reducing inconvenience to devotees during the event.
Godavari Pushkaralu plans include Bhadrachalam STP
The Minister directed officials to prioritise works that could be completed before the Pushkaralu began. He also asked them to set specific deadlines based on ground conditions and make an integrated dashboard operational immediately to monitor progress.
Sridhar Babu asked officials to address any shortage of engineers by deputing personnel from the Roads and Buildings Department and other departments. Since rainfall could occur during the Pushkaralu, he directed officials to prepare alternative arrangements and contingency measures in advance.
He also directed the concerned officials to take immediate steps to construct a Sewage Treatment Plant at Bhadrachalam. The project was among the specific works reviewed as part of the preparations.
Sridhar Babu said Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had assured that adequate funds would be provided for the arrangements. He stressed that there should be no compromise on either the preparations for the Pushkaralu or the quality of the works.