BJP to offer voluntary services at Medaram jatara

Hanamkonda: As part of promoting Medaram Sammakka Saralamma Jatara, the of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cadre in Warangal and neighbouring districts will engage in offering voluntary services at the jatara. 

The party State Chief K Laxman told presspersons here on Monday that the party workers will serve the devotees by setting up helpline desks, medical camps, drinking water camps, milk and food sachets at Medaram during the jatara. 

The BJP leader accused the State government of neglecting historic Medaram jatara. Lakhs of devotees have already started visiting Medaram and are facing problems due to lack of facilities. There is proper transport, no toilets and drinking water at Medaram village. 

Referring to the demand of recognising Medaram Sammakka Saralamma Jatara as National Festival, he said the State government had confined itself to publicity and failed to impress the Centre about the significance of the jatara. 

Instead of submitting a detailed dossier, the State government just passed a resolution in the assembly and remained quiet. The government must have started efforts to secure National Festival status to the jatara long back.

The State BJP delegation met the Union Ministers of seven departments and presented a detailed brochure along with coffee table book explaining the historic importance of the jatara and the need to accord National Festival status to it, he said. 

“Every Minister we met expressed surprise over the history of the Adivasi jatara. Responding to our request, Union Tribal Welfare Minister Jual Oram consented to attend Medaram jatara on February 2”, Laxman stated.  

Similarly, Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh also agreed to visit Medaram. “These are all our efforts as there are aimed at highlighting the jatara and gain National Festival status” he said.

Earlier on the day, a meeting with the party workers had been conducted to discuss the party’s service activities at Medaram jatara. A committee had been formed with ex-MLA Chanda Lingaiah Dora as the coordinator.

The meeting was attended by the party national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao, the party district president Rao Padma, leaders T Rajeshwar Rao, A Ashok Reddy and others.