Hyderabad: Azadi Ki Amrut Mahotsav to mark 75 years of Independence

Hyderabad: 'Azadi Ki Amrut Mahotsav' the year-long celebrations of India's 75th Independence Day will be celebrated with gusto and passion in Telangana.

The State Government on Monday announced that it would hold celebrations for 75 weeks at a cost of Rs 25 crore. It has appointed Advisor (Cultural Affairs) K V Ramanachary as Chairman of the Celebrations Committee. The General Administration Department, Finance, Cultural Affairs, Municipal Administration, Panchayat Raj, Education Secretaries, Director Municipal Administration, Panchayat Raj Commissioner will be the members while the Cultural Affairs Director will be the member-secretary.

The CM would inaugurate the celebrations at Public Gardens on March 12 and Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan will attend the function in Warangal. The programme will begin with the hoisting of the national flag followed by the police march-past and release of the balloons.

The CM said that the Telangana region played a unique role in the then freedom movement. After bifurcation, the Telangana State has been making rapid strides in development and the State has emerged as a major partner in the country's progress. He said that the Mahotsav should be held in a big way like a festival amidst peace and harmony.

KCR said tributes will be paid to the freedom fighters and martyrs in Sanjeevaiah Park. National flag would be unfurled at 75 important locations in the State and through which the patriotic fervour would be depicted. The CM also wanted essay writing competitions, debates, elocutions, drawing competitions, kavi sammelan and other such programmes to be conducted all over the State on the occasion.

The Chief Minister announced this action programme after a video-conference Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with Chief Ministers of all States on the conduct of the Independence Day celebrations.