Chandranna Panduga: Oligalu to be offered at Naidu’s portraits in Gundumala
Anantapur: Oligalu, the traditional sweet flat bread prepared during festivals in Rayalaseema, are readied at about 300 households in Gundumala gram panchayat in Satya Sai district to be offered at the portraits of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on the occasion of his visit to the village to distribute social security pensions and hold a ‘rachabanda’ on Thursday.
Every household in the entire gram panchayat is celebrating the day as Chandranna Panduga and have started preparation of Oligalu at their houses since Wednesday night.
The village is decorated with a festive touch. The rachabanda of the CM is scheduled to be held in an open site under the trees. There would be no ‘paradas or cutting of trees’ for this purpose.
The pension distribution programme at Gundumala village, located almost at the south-west end and the highest peak of AP, is slated for August 1.
Unlike the usual public meetings for CMs with huge gatherings from all over the region, Naidu this time wants to have an exclusive interaction with the people of the gram panchayat and distribute them the pensions.
“Leaders from other gram panchayats and TD workers have no entry to the event. The authorities have set up LED monitors at every mandal headquarters, making it convenient for the people there to watch the live telecast of the entire programme of CM in Gundumala,” the local TD incharge Gundumala Thippeswamy told Deccan Chronicle.
He said every house in the gram panchayat has been keeping Naidu’s portraits in their puja rooms along with gods’ portraits since 2014, when Naidu increased pensions to old-aged people.
“The villagers are voluntarily celebrating the Chandranna Panduga and every house is offering traditional Oligalu to Naidu’s photo at their houses and they have also decorated the village to welcome their leader,” he said.
Official sources said Naidu would reach the polytechnic college in Gundumala by helicopter and reach the village by car. All TD leaders will have to wait at the helipad to greet their leader. Permission is given only for ministers, a few MLAs and officials to accompany the CM to the village.
