Uncertainty continues over the State Formation Day celebration on June 2 with expectations that it will be on a low key for the second consecutive year.
Coming as it is amid the threat posed by the second wave of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the government is yet to discuss on whether or not to organise the celebrations in view of the persisting cases. “No decision has been taken on the issue so far,” was how a senior official responded when contacted by The Hindu.
Lockdown decision
The government is yet to take a decision on whether to continue the lockdown, whose deadline is ending on May 30, for some more days or whether to relax the restrictions. A section of senior officials appear to be in favour of extension of lockdown for some more days till the completion of phase-wise mass vaccination that is set to start from May 28 for the super spreaders.
The Health Department on its part appears to be against giving scope for mass gathering events like the State Formation Day celebrations for some more time till the virus is reined in. In this backdrop, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has convened a meeting of the State Cabinet on Sunday to discuss important issues facing the State, including the COVID-19 situation and ongoing lockdown.
Low-key celebrations
Officials are hopeful that the meeting would take a call on the lockdown as also the mode in which the State Formation Day should be celebrated.
The formation day celebrations were on a low key previous year too with Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao paying tributes to the martyrs’ memorial and hoisting the tricolor at Pragati Bhavan.
