Harish Rao hails services of Amaranth Annadana Seva Samithi

T Harish Rao distributed clay Ganesh idols made by the AASS at Mohinipura on Monday.

Siddipet: Finance Minister T Harish Rao has hailed the services of Amaranth Annadana Seva Samithi (AASS).

Distributing the clay Ganesh idols made by the AASS at Mohinipura on Monday, the Minister said that the AASS become famous in the country for their services because they were the only organisation from entire South India to serve free meals to devotees of Amaranth Yatra. Daring the challenging conditions along the Amarnath Yatra, Rao said that the members of AASS will travel to the Himalayas every year to serve food and guide the devotees.

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The Minister said that even the North Indians would love the food being served by the AASS. He has lauded president Uppala Bhupathi and his wife for staying in the Himalayas for 25-long days braving the cold conditions to serve the devotees. As the eight Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel died while serving the Amaranth Devotees this year, the AASS has decided to support the families of these eight soldiers.

The AASS is going to meet ITBP DGP to present a cheque to support the bereaved family members. Harish Rao was all praise for the AASS gesture after knowing their intention. Since the number of devotees going to Amarnath Yatra every year is increasing, Rao said that they opened a centre in the town to issue fitness certificates to Yatra-bound devotees. Earlier, the devotees were forced to visit Hyderabad or Sangareddy to get a fitness certificate which is mandatory to embark Amaranth Yatra. Meanwhile, Rao said that the State government was contemplating opening more such centres across the State in the days to come.

Later, Rao, who launched the distribution of clay idols at Ravi Chettu Hanuman Temple in association with AASS, has underlined the importance of the using only clay idols in Ganesh festivities this year to protect the environment. Medak MP Kotha Prabhakar Reddy and others were present.