Chittor, March 31: Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan has asked members of Parliament, Legislative Assembly, and Legislative Council to strive to get a facility or two for their home districts or native villages. He asked them to repay their debt to their native place as the ‘lovable sons of the soil’.
Speaking after inaugurating the centenary celebrations of Chittoor district at the Masonic grounds here on Wednesday, the Governor said that every person should feel responsible to show their gratitude to their native place, especially by making good use of their powers while holding the posts.
He asked them to take a cue from Pratap C. Reddy, Chairman, Apollo group of hospitals, who had set up a state-of-the-art medical facility at their native village, Aragonda, near Chittoor town.
Mr. Narasimhan called the people of Chittoor a blessed lot since the district housed world famous shrines like the temple of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala and the Srikalahasti and Kanipakam temples and “envied” them for their position.
“Perhaps there is no other district in the State that has produced four Chief Ministers, philosophers, religious savants and educationists,” he said.
Though endowed with so many ‘pluses’, the only ‘minus point’ slapped on the district by nature was the scarcity of water, he said. Expressing happiness at the privilege of having a Governor’s suite at Horsley Hills, Mr. Narasimhan appealed to the people not to leave the district for greener pastures. He released balloons in the air to launch the three-day celebrations and also unveiled a centenary pylon at the Collectorate.
Minister for Revenue N. Raghuveera Reddy, who is in-charge of the district, hailed Chittoor as a “good-hearted generous and amenable” district, recalling how Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, hailing from Anantapur, had won from Srikalahasti Assembly Constituency here to become the Chief Minister.
Returning favours
Minister for Mines and Geology Galla Aruna Kumari recalled the comfortable election of N.T. Rama Rao and K. Chiranjeevi from Tirupati, adding that the people of Chittoor, however, were not returned the favours. She asked the audience to feel proud of having their roots in Chittoor.
Collector V. Seshadri welcomed the delegates. Member of Parliament N. Sivaprasad, former Ministers G. Kuthuhalamma, R. Chenga Reddy, P. Thippe Swamy, Zilla Parishad Chairman M. Subramanyam Reddy, former MP D.K. Audikesavulu, legislators C.K. Babu and P. Ravikumar were present.
–Agencies