Minister holds review meet ahead of Moharram

Hyderabad: Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said that the government will make all arrangements to avoid any inconvenience during the Moharram, an Islamic month.

On Friday, a high-level meeting was held under the chairmanship of Minister Ponnam Prabhakar to review the arrangements for Moharram. In a review meeting, government adviser Mohammad Shabbir Ali, officials of various departments and Shia religious leaders were present at the Telangana State Secretariat.

During the meeting, Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said that officials of all departments should work in coordination. He said that police should be deployed at the Ashoorkhanas where Moharram events will be held. The minister ordered that the road repair works in the surrounding areas of Ashoorkhanas and pending drainage works should be completed immediately, and lights should be arranged at all places.

Ponnam Prabhakar said that on the day of the main elephant procession, the electricity department officials should install special lights, the water board officials should provide drinking water, and the GHMC officials should monitor the sanitation works. Mobile toilets and other basic facilities should be arranged.

Police officials have been directed to take precautions to prevent traffic disruption during the Moharram procession. Strong security should be established in the area around Bibi-Ka-Alam where the main procession will begin, he said.

Shabbir Ali suggested that all basic facilities should be provided to those who come to Ashoorkhanas to pay their condolences.

Mini buses should also be arranged for them. He said that medical camps and ambulances should also be made available during the procession.

MLCs Mirza Riyaz-ul-Hasan Effendi, Mirza Rahmat Baig, Balmuri Venkat, MLAs Jafar Hussain Meraj, Kausar Mohiuddin, Mir Zulfekar Ali, Minority Welfare Department Secretary Tafseer Iqbal, Waqf Board Chairman Syed Azmatullah Hussaini, Minority Finance Corporation Chairman Kotwal, Vice Chairman & President TMREIS Faheem Qureshi, Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi, GHMC Commissioner Amrapali Kata, Hyderabad Police Commissioner Sreenivas Reddy and others were present.