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48-hour Ganesh immersion procession concludes in Hyderabad
The Ganesh immersion procession in Hyderabad concluded on Saturday afternoon, bringing to an end a 48-hour operation that saw lakhs of devotees throng the city’s central stretches and more than 28,000 police personnel deployed for security and crowd management.
City Police Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar said the immersion festivities concluded peacefully, with the final phase stretching well into Saturday after the heavy turnout of devotees slowed the movement of idols towards Hussainsagar.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar monitoring the Ganesh immersion process near Tank Bund. | Photo Credit: Arrangement
The immersion process had been slightly delayed as lakhs of people, many accompanied by their families, gathered around Tank Bund, NTR Marg, Necklace Road, Liberty and Moazzam Jahi Market. Traffic restrictions consequently remained in place along the main procession routes on Saturday until the remaining idols were cleared.
The Commissioner said preparations for the festival had begun three months in advance, while coordination with various government departments and other stakeholders had been underway for the past two months.
According to the officer, approximately 30 lakh devotees visited the Khairatabad Bada Ganesh during the festival, while about 15 lakh offered prayers at the Balapur Ganesh. He said there had been an increase in both the number of idols and the turnout of devotees this year.
The Khairatabad and Balapur Ganesh idols were immersed ahead of time with the cooperation of their respective festival committees. However, some other pandal organisers began their journeys late, contributing to the procession stretching into Saturday.
Joint inspections of the procession route from Balapur to Hussainsagar had been conducted with festival committees and officials from different government departments. Police also used technology to monitor the procession, while officials worked from the TGICCC Multi-Agency War Room to address problems arising on the ground.
The Commissioner said coordination among the police, GHMC, Revenue, Electricity, RTA, HMDA and other agencies was crucial to managing the event. Cranes deployed along Tank Bund, NTR Marg and Necklace Road and traffic diversions across the procession stretches formed part of the final 48-hour operation.
Over the two days, the Commissioner travelled on a motorcycle along several procession stretches, including Tank Bund, Basheerbagh, Liberty, Ambedkar Statue, Telugu Talli Flyover, M.J. Market, Nampally, Gandhi Bhavan and Nizam College Junction, inspecting arrangements and interacting with personnel deployed on the ground.
While describing the immersion as peaceful, the Commissioner also flagged several issues that police intend to address before next year’s festival.
The use of paper shower cannons during processions had left large quantities of paper on roads, creating a skidding hazard for two-wheelers when it rained, he said. Police would bring the issue to the government’s notice and seek a ban on such devices from next year.
Waste left behind after food distribution during the festivities would also be regulated, he said. He also expressed concern over instances of drunk driving and what he described as obscene dancing by a few individuals. Police plan to hold advance meetings with festival committees and idol makers ahead of the 2027 festivities to create awareness about idol height restrictions, security standards and discipline.
“A detailed debriefing of this year’s operation will now be conducted, with police planning to use lessons from the exercise to begin preparations for the 2027 Ganesh festival,” concluded the officer.
The Hindu·3 hours ago·3 min read
Business
MG varsity Syndicate in Keralam triples sitting fee to ₹3,000, triggers row
Mahatma Gandhi University’s new Syndicate has given itself a three-fold hike in sitting fee, raising it from ₹1,000 to ₹3,000 and triggering protests from Left-backed employees’ organisations over the timing of the move.
In an order issued on Friday, the recently reconstituted Syndicate, appointed by the UDF government, raised the sitting fee.
The Syndicate has justified the increase citing the “nature and extent of the responsibilities entrusted to the members”. It said members devote considerable time and effort to attending Syndicate meetings, examining files and documents, participating in Standing Committees and taking decisions on matters crucial to the functioning and development of the university.
It also pointed out that Syndicate members of other universities are paid higher sitting fees and said the enhancement was warranted considering the responsibilities involved.
The revised fee makes MGU Syndicate members the highest-paid among their counterparts in the State’s four general universities. The sitting fee is ₹750 at the University of Kerala, ₹1,250 at the University of Calicut and ₹600 at Kannur University. Before the MGU hike, Calicut University had the highest sitting fee among the four.
The hike has drawn sharp criticism from Left-wing employees’ organisations, which questioned the timing of the decision amid the university’s financial difficulties and administrative backlog.
“Proposals to increase sitting fee had been raised during the tenure of the LDF-backed Syndicate as well. However, the hike was not implemented due to the university’s financial crisis. MGU has the highest number of autonomous colleges under its jurisdiction, resulting in a significant decline in revenue from examination fees,” said a former Syndicate member.
The Mahatma Gandhi University Employees’ Association (MGUEA), a Left-wing employees’ organisation, alleged that the fee was increased even as several files requiring urgent action by the Syndicate remained pending. These included matters relating to the purchase of folders for distributing degree certificates to students and computers for office operations.
“Although four Syndicate meetings have been held within two months of the new syndicate assuming office, decisions have not been made on several files. For instance, out of the 236 items on the agenda of the meeting held in August, decisions were taken on only 70. No decisions are being taken on several administrative and academic files,” said Joseph Abraham, president, MGUEA.
The union staged a protest march on the university campus on Saturday against the hike. Hundreds of employees, including women, took part in the march from the Pareeksha Bhavan to the Administration Block.
The All Kerala Private College Teachers’ Association (AKPCTA), the Left-wing teachers’ organisation, is also planning protests in the coming days.
The Hindu·3 hours ago·2 min read
