KCR to visit Medaram on February 7

Medaram (Mulugu): The Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao will be in Medaram on February 7, the Minister for Tribal Welfare and Women Development Satyavathi Rathod said.

Speaking to the media persons here on Tuesday, she said that 99 per cent of the works related to arrangements for the upcoming Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara have been completed. The minister who inspected works said that efforts are on to ensure hassle free arrangements for the jatara.

"The Chief Minister sanctioned Rs 75 crore for the arrangements at jatara so that to provide utmost comfort for the devotees," Rathod said, stating that all the works would be completed by January 31.

The administration is using the services of officials who have previous experience of working at Medaram jatara, she said. The irrigation officials were told to ensure water level not to exceed 3 feet in Jampanna Vagu (stream), Rathod stated.

She said that water will be released to Jampanna Vagu from Laknavaram lake in a couple of days. With the devotees already turning to Medaram in lakhs, the administration is carefully monitoring the situation, she said, referring to the crowd management.

The government had invited all the top tribal leaders in the country to witness the Sammakka-Saralamma jatara, touted as the largest Adivasi fair in Asia, the minister added.

Even though, the State government had made several appeals to the Centre, the latter had not responded to give national festival status to Medaram jatara, she said.