Formation Day celebrations sombre as COVID-19 cases surge in Telangana state

People and public representatives in Telangana commemorated the state’s sixth anniversary on Tuesday on a subdued note, as the COVID-19 cases continue to surge, especially in Hyderabad.

The state was formed on June 2, 2014, after a protracted statehood movement spanning over five decades. The formation of K Chandrasekhar Rao headed Telangana Rashtra Samithi in 2001 was a landmark political event in the renewed agitation for separation from Andhra Pradesh.

Rao, the first chief minister of Telangana who retained the position in December 2018, paid homage at the Telangana martyr’s memorial at the Gun Park, in front of the state assembly in Hyderabad. He later unfurled the national flag at the Pragathi Bhavan, the CM’s official office cum residence.

Rao thanked the President, Vice President, the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, and other prominent leaders for conveying their best wishes on the Telangana State formation Day. “On behalf of people in the State and on my personal behalf I thank you all for wishing for the State’s progress,” the CM stated.

Telangana has now become the top state in terms of paddy procurement across the country, thanks to a chain of irrigation projects developed utilizing the Godavari waters. The state has also made an 18 percent growth in IT exports in 2019-20.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has put brakes on further strides.

Daily new infections which thinned down to single digits earlier are being reported in alarming three-digit numbers lately. After the record 199 cases of Sunday, the state has on Monday added another 94 cases. Tuesday's fresh cases were 99 taking overall tally to 2891.

Hyderabad continues to be the virus epi-centre of the state. On Tuesday, 12 postgraduate medicine students in the Osmania Medical College hostels are reported to have tested positive, out of the over 290 students there being screened.

The state has till Monday night reported 92 COVID-19 deaths.