Rs 75 lakh for new Tank Bund statues

HYDERABAD: VR Ramanamurthi, chairman of the Andhra Pradesh State Cultural Council said on Saturday that the state government has sanctioned Rs 75 lakh for repair and re-installation of statues on Tank Bund, demolished during the Million March programme.Addressing a press conference here, he said the APSCC would conduct a meeting with state sculptors on May 25 for discussion about the repair work. He added that 16 statues were demolished during the Million March.Among them, 12 were completely damaged and 4 partially damaged.“Along with installation of the 16 statues, another new statue of social activist Komaram Bheem would also be built.The Tribal Welfare department has given Rs 8 lakh for the Komaram Bheem statue,” said Ramanamurthi.Director of the department of Culture, Dr M Kantha Rao informed the Satarupam cultural programmes (hundredday programme) would be conducted in various districts of the state. Satarupam would be inaugurated by the Transport minister B Satyanarayana in Vizianagaram on May 23.The programme would be held in some selected districts for 10 days each. The programme will be concluded with a final event at the Ravindra Bharathi on August 22. “The department of Culture has sanctioned Rs 40 lakh for the Satarupam programmes,” said Rao.Meanwhile, the department has also invited applications from state folk singers and dancers to perform in the Telugu Association of North America (TANA) programme which will be held from July 1 to 3 in California.Kantha Rao said interested folk artists should send their applications to the APSCC with photocopies of passport and other related documents before May 25.