Warangal: PV Narasimha Rao remembered on his centenary birth anniversary

Warangal: The TRS and the Congress leaders paid tributes to former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao fondly known as PV, on his centenary birth anniversary in erstwhile Warangal district on Monday.

Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao who garlanded the statue of PV at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium said that the former PM was a statesman and a rare scholar who gave a sense of direction to the country's economic and foreign policies.

"Although the Congress and the BJP ignored PV's services to the nation, the TRS Government was paying a fitting tribute to the great man by organising his birth centenary. PV's political growth has begun from Warangal.

PV heralded social, political and economic reforms that triggered the growth of the nation," he said. In another programme, Warangal DCC president Naini Rajender Reddy demanded the Central Government to confer Bharat Ratna, country's highest civilian award, to PV.

"PV who was proficient in 17 languages was a wizard who brought in several reforms that put India on par with the developed countries," Reddy said. He said that during PV's stint as the PM, India launched a ballistic missile technology programme, besides successfully testing the augmented satellite launch vehicle.

The Kakatiya University (KU) Vice-Chancellor Prof Thatikonda Ramesh said that the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has announced a Chair in the name of PV Narasimha Rao, known as PV Vignana Peetham, in the KU.

The Chair will study the economic reforms, education system brought in by PV and his service to literature. "A plan is also on the anvil to bring out a journal in the name of PV, an alumnus of KU," Prof Ramesh said.