Telangana CM KCR asks Govt officials to celebrate 'formation day' on subdued note

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has announced that the State Formation Day celebrations will be a low key affair and has asked his administration to follow his directives. The announcement comes due to the outbreak of coronavirus and the damaging impact it has had on the lives and livelihood of people across the State, and the rest of the country.

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Subdued celebrations

"Ministers, officials, and MLAs will hoist the National Flag at their respective offices only. The Chief Minister will pay tribute to Martyrs Pylon and later hoist the national flag at Pragathi Bhavan. At all district centres, ministers and other public representatives will pay tributes to the bravehearts and later hoist the flag. At district headquarters, a small at home will be organised with the officials," it stated.

Telangana was formed on June 2, 2014, after bifurcating from Andhra Pradesh. 

Meanwhile, announcing further relaxations,  the Telangana government on Wednesday permitted all types of shops, except malls, to open in Hyderabad and lifted the night ban on plying State Road Transport Corporation buses. It, however, decided not to allow buses to run in Hyderabad for some more days in view of the COVID-19 case load, an official release said. 

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CM Rao held separate meetings with ministers and officials on the COVID-19 situation and implementation of lockdown, among others and took decisions on several issues, it said. These include payment of the Aasara (social security) pensions without any change, extending provision of 12 kg rice per person to the poor in June in view of the lockdown and continuing with deductions in salaries of public representatives, All India Service officers, government employees, outsourcing and contract workers for this month.

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Last week, the state police announced that it will shortly be introducing the artificial intelligence-based system to create awareness on social distancing. According to Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) M Mahendar Reddy, the system -- a first such initiative in the country -- shall be enabled shortly across the three police commissioners of Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda which cover the city and its suburbs.

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