Mohit Singh
The Forum for Good Governance has urged Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to reconsider the proposed expenditure of ₹1,000 crore on arrangements for the forthcoming Godavari Pushkaralu, citing the state’s financial position and calling for need-based spending. In a letter dated October 15, 2026, the forum’s president, M Padmanabha Reddy, said the government should prioritise essential facilities for pilgrims and ensure the prudent use of public funds.
The forum said substantial amounts were spent during the previous Godavari Pushkaralu on bathing ghats, roads, shelters and other infrastructure. However, it said the actual need for and use of several works during the festival did not justify the expenditure. According to the letter, the Godavari was almost dry a week before the previous Pushkaralu, with only scattered pools of contaminated water. Water was released from the Kadam Dam when the festival began to enable devotees to take a holy dip.
The forum argued that the festival lasted two to three weeks and did not involve sustained heavy movement of devotees on all roads and bathing ghats, and that laying fresh roads on a large scale was therefore unnecessary. It said the government’s primary responsibility during Pushkaralu was to ensure law and order, drinking water, medical facilities, temporary toilets, sheds and other essential arrangements for pilgrims’ convenience and safety — facilities it said could be provided without incurring substantial expenditure.
Government’s ₹1,000 crore plan
Telangana’s Minister for Information Technology and Industries, Duddilla Sridhar Babu, had announced in August that the state government has allocated ₹1,000 crore for the Godavari Pushkaralu 2027. He directed officials to start the works in the first week of September and asked them to complete the tender process by the end of August.
The minister chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on ‘Godavari Pushkaralu – 2027’ at the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Telangana Secretariat, attended by ministers Konda Surekha, Tummala Nageswara Rao, Ponnam Prabhakar, Seethakka, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Vivek Venkataswamy and Adluri Laxman Kumar, along with State Government Advisor P. Sudarshan Reddy.
The committee reviewed department-wise preparedness and ordered the appointment of special officers for ‘Tier-1’ areas expected to witness heavy pilgrim crowds, besides dedicated command and control centres in key locations. Senior officials were told not to compromise on quality and to conduct regular field visits, and the Endowments Department was advised to run a dedicated dashboard to track work progress daily. The minister also said any negligence regarding the Pushkaram arrangements would invite strict action.
An once-in-12-years festival
The Godavari Pushkaralu is held once every 12 years and draws massive crowds of devotees to the river’s banks. Key pilgrimage centres along the river in Telangana include Basara and Bhadrachalam. During a review of development projects along the Godavari River earlier this year, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy committed to a June 2027 deadline for completing all associated works for the festival, with a detailed Master Plan prepared and a Technical Engineers Committee established to oversee the development of Pushkar Ghats.
The pushkaram is a major logistics exercise: devotees’ convenience, road connectivity, temporary shelters, sanitation, medical facilities and coordination across departments all have to come together across the ghats. The forum’s letter argues that past editions show a leaner approach can serve pilgrims just as well, and that the state should weigh its financial position before committing the full ₹1,000 crore to permanent infrastructure.
Why the spending debate matters
The disagreement is not about whether the festival should be organised, but about how. The state government sees the Pushkaralu as an opportunity to build lasting infrastructure along the Godavari — better ghats, roads and connectivity to major temples and tourist sites — that will serve devotees long after the festival ends. The forum, on the other hand, points to what it says was the underuse of similar infrastructure built during the previous edition, and argues that pilgrim welfare money is better spent on law and order, drinking water, medical care and temporary arrangements.
With tenders for the works already in motion and a June 2027 completion deadline in place, the government’s next response to the forum’s letter will set the tone for how the biggest religious gathering on the Godavari in 12 years will take shape.
FAQs
What is the Godavari Pushkaralu?
The Godavari Pushkaralu is a major Hindu river festival held once every 12 years along the Godavari river, when devotees take a holy dip at designated ghats. The next edition is due in 2027.
Who has questioned the ₹1,000 crore spending?
The Forum for Good Governance, through its president M Padmanabha Reddy, wrote to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on October 15, 2026, asking the government to reconsider the proposed ₹1,000 crore expenditure and focus on essential, need-based facilities for pilgrims.
What has the Telangana government planned for Pushkaralu 2027?
The state has allocated ₹1,000 crore for the festival, with works to begin in September 2026 under a Cabinet Sub-Committee led by minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu. Plans include special officers for high-traffic Tier-1 areas, command and control centres, upgraded ghats and road connectivity, with all works to be completed by June 2027.
Which places in Telangana are the main Pushkaram centres?
Basara and Bhadrachalam are among the key centres along the Godavari in Telangana where the government has been reviewing development projects for the 2027 festival.
