Development of poor will be true tribute to ASR, says Tourism Minister

The district marked 128th birth anniversary of Alluri Sitharama Raju by garlanding his statues at different places in the city on Friday. Minister for Tourism Kandula Durgesh said that it was his good fortune to set foot at the birth place of Sitharama Raju at Pandrangi in the district.

Measures would be taken to develop the areas connected with the life of the revolutionary freedom fighter to enable posterity to know his sacrifices, the Minister said, adding that Visakhapatnam would be developed as a hub for tourism, culture and cinema. The tribute to Alluri would be to achieve better living standards for the downtrodden and the poor, he said.

The Minister said that he had visited Krishnadevi Peta in ASR district earlier during the day and paid tributes at the Alluri Sitharama Raju Memorial there.

Bheemunipatnam MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao said that the bridge leading to Pandrangi would be completed soon to provide better connectivity to the birth place of Sitharama Raju.

BJP State President P.V.N. Madhav, former Minister Appala Narasimha Raju and officials participated in the programme.

Assembly Speaker Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu unveiled a statue of Alluri at Narsipatnam and paid tributes. Ministers Kandula Durgesh, V. Anitha and Kollu Ravindra and MPs C.M. Ramesh and Appla Naidu, Anakapalli District Collector Vijaya Krishnan and SP Tuhin Sinha paid tributes.

At Zilla Parishad, Deputy CEO K. Raj Kumar and other officials garlanded a portrait of Alluri and paid tributes.

District Collector M.N. Harendhira Prasad garlanded the statue of Alluri on the Beach Road and paid tributes. He also garlanded a portrait of Alluri at the Collectorate and paid tributes to the revolutionary freedom fighter.

The birth anniversary was celebrated at the Alluri Vignana Kendram (AVK) at Dabagardens. AVK Trust chairman Ch. Narasinga Rao, National Boxing Federation joint secretary Ravi Raju, ‘Manyam Veerudu’ film Director R.V.V. Satyanarayana, AVK treasurer Padmanabha Raju, programme in charge G.S. Rajeswara Rao and Gurajada Sanskrutika Vedika Dandu Nageswara Rao were among those who participated.