1 acre, `5cr sanctioned for Lingayats to build bhavan

HYDERABAD, APRIL 29 Deputy Chief Minister Mohd. Mahmood Ali on Saturday said that the TS government will soon allot one acre of land in Hyderabad for Veerashaiva Lingayats on the lines of other communities.

He said that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has sanctioned `5 crore for the construction of Basava Bhavan on this one acre land and hoped that the next Basava Jayanti will be held in the new Bhavan.

Elsewhere, the city’s first Mahatma Basaveshwara statue on a horseback was installed near Rotary Park on the Tank Bund.

Speaking at the 884th Mahatma Basaveshwara Jayanti organised by state government at Ravindra Bharati, the Deputy CM asked people to follow the great social reformer who fought against untouchability, gender discrimination, social evils and for emancipation of women.

“A couple of sites have been identified and the land promised by the CM will be allotted soon,” Mr Mahmood Ali announced.

Legislative Council Chairman Swami Goud, Assembly Speaker Madhusudhana Chary, ST and tourism minister Ajmera Chandulal who presided over the function, agriculture minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, BC Commission chairman B.S. Ramulu, MLC Paturi Sudhakar Reddy, MP and Telangana Veerashaiva Lingayat Federation chairman B.B. Patil, vicechairman Madapu Veermallesh, president B. Hanumanthu, Ashok Mustapure, Rudrama Devi and others participated in the function.

Director of Cult-ure Mamidi Harikishan conducted the meeting.

The dignitaries recalled the teachings of Basaveshwara and urged people to follow them for a better world.

DC Zaheerabad MP Bheemarao Basavantarao Patil greets the gathering after the unveiling of a statue of Mahatma Basaveswara as part of his birth anniversary celebrations, near Bathukamma Ghat on the Tank Bund in Hyderabad on Saturday. —