Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has embarked on a mission to fulfill his vow to gods and goddesses by presenting them with gold ornaments worth crores of rupees, belonging to public exchequer, for realising his dream of the formation of Telangana state.
KCR will be presenting a golden crown worth Rs 3.65 crore to goddess Bhadrakali in Warangal on Sunday. The crown weighs11.700 kgs.
KCR’s decision to present the ornaments was approved by the Telangana Cabinet on Friday.
Though KCR had taken the vow in his individual capacity before the state formation, he is now spending money from the public exchequer to keep his promise.
According to official sources, the expenditure for making the ornaments was drawn from the Common Good Fund of the Endowments Department (meant for renovation of dilapidated temples) of the state government.
The Opposition is finding fault with KCR for misusing public money. “... This is inappropriate in democracy, wherein public money is being misused for religious practices. It would have been more appropriate had KCR made such donations from his own pocket,” Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy said.
When contacted, K V Ramana Chary, advisor to Telangana CM, said it was not the individual decision of the chief minister to present gold ornaments to the deities. “It was a collective decision of the Cabinet keeping in view the aspirations of the people of Telangana in achieving the separate state,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}When contacted, K V Ramana Chary, advisor to Telangana CM, said it was not the individual decision of the chief minister to present gold ornaments to the deities. “It was a collective decision of the Cabinet keeping in view the aspirations of the people of Telangana in achieving the separate state,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}He had taken a vow to present a Saligrama Haram (lotus model golden necklace) and a five-row Kante (carcanet) to Lord Venkateshwara of Tirumala among other gods and goddesses.