Author: Omer Farooq
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: July 4, 2015
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/nation/telangana-to-celebrate-ramzan-officially.html

Though the culture of Iftar parties is not new for Hyderabad and the Governments and the political parties have been throwing bashes during the holy month of Ramzan to woo the minority community. However, the K Chandrashekar Rao Government of Telangana has come out with a novel idea of celebrating holy month of Ramzan officially.

 While the grand Iftar party, marking day’s fasting, in Hyderabad will be hosted by the Chief Secretary, similar feasts will be organised in all the nine districts by the respective district collectors.

 This was part of the Rs26 crore bonanza, Chief Minister K Chandrsekhar Rao announced for the Muslim community on the occasion of Ramzan. While a lion’s share of the package will be spent on the feasting, he also announced various other sops including the distribution of clothes among the poor members of the community for the Eid-ul-Fitr marking the end of Ramzan.

 KCR said that the Dawat-e-Iftar will be a grand affair to which 4,000 people will be invited in Hyderabad. The State Government was also inviting the Ambassadors of many Muslim countries including Saudi Arabia, other Arab and gulf countries, Turkey, Iran, Indonesia and Malaysia.

 A committee headed by senior IPS officer and Anti-Corruption Bureau head Abdul Khayyum Khan was constituted to make the arrangements for the Iftar party and invite the envoys from New Delhi. Chief Minister KCR will attend the Iftar party in Hyderabad to be held at the Nizam College Grounds on July 8. The Iftar parties in the districts will be attended by the Ministers, local MLAs and the MPs, he told the reporters.

 “This is part of our Ganga Jamni Tehzeeb” (composite culture), the Chief Minister said. “We are creating a new history with these grand celebrations and the State will emerge as a champion in celebrating Ramzan in the entire country”.

 In addition to this, Iftar parties will also be organised by the Government in 100 mosques in Hyderabad and one mosque in each of the 119 Assembly constituencies across the State. Iftar parties will also be organised in all the Muslim orphanages in the State on July 5.

 For the first time the State Government will release a formal order sanctioning the money for the treasury for these festivities.