Gidugu Jayanthi to be Telugu Language Day in AP

VIJAYAWADA: The AP government will celebrate Gidugu Ramamurthy Pantulu’s 159th birth anniversary on August 29 as Telugu Language Day in all districts across the state.

Announcing this here on Thursday, AP Official Language Commission chairman Prof. Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad said as Gidugu Ramamurthy's workplace had been Visakhapatnam and his birth place Uttarandhra district, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has ordered that the state-level Telugu Language Day be celebrated in the Port City in a grand manner.

The Chief Minister will himself launch Telugu Language Day celebrations by paying floral tributes. Over 40 people who have worked for development and preservation of Telugu language will be recognised on the day with a certificate of appreciation and cash award of ₹15,000 each at the state-level ceremony.

Prof. Lakshmi Prasad said those who have endeavoured to develop Telugu language, including writers in various districts, will be honoured on the day.

The commission chairman announced that from first week of September, officials of Telugu Language Development Authority will go to each district and hold meetings with officials of all departments in that district under guidance of respective district collectors on implementation of Telugu as official language. He appealed to people from all walks of life to cooperate in promoting Telugu as the official language of AP.