Antya Pushkaralu: Devotees complain of poor facilities.

​Bhadrachalam: The State government came under severe criticism from devotees for inadequate arrangements for ‘Antya Pushkaralu’ in the temple town.

The government, which allocated Rs 100 crores for ‘Adi Pushkaralu’ last year, did not bother to allocate even Rs 50 lakh to all the government departments put together for the ‘Antya Pushkaralu’.

Those who failed to make it to the Pushkaralu at River Godavari last year, made a beeline to the temple town to have a holy dip in the river during the ‘Antya Pushkaralu’.

After observing the deplorable conditions, the devotees blamed the people’s representatives and Khammam district official machinery for the poor arrangements.

Of the eight bathing ghats constructed last year in Bhadrachalam, Venkatapuram, Dummugudem, Manuguru and Burgampahad mandals, only two ghats at Bhadrachalam and Parnasala are user-friendly.

At other places, the ghats were in worse condition due to poor quality of construction. The toilets set up the bathing ghats are not fit for use.

A tourist from Vijayawada, Anuradha complained to The Hans India correspondent about the lack of facilities for women to change their dresses.

River Godavari was flowing at its full due to the recent inflows and the flood level near Pushkar ghats is alarming. But there were no expert swimmers near the bathing ghats, said Subba Rao from Kakinada .

The devotees criticised that Minister Tummmala Nageswara Rao was confined to the reviewing of the arrangements only. The Vedic scholars conducted the inaugural ceremony of Antya Pushkaralu with the temple executive officer as the chief guest.

Lack of supervision from the government officials and lackadaisical attitude of the government machinery took sheen out of the concluding ceremony.

By: A Nagender