Date:08/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/08/stories/2008090859770300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

‘Kalaa jaatha’ from today

Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA: Lagadapati Rajagopal, MP, is gearing up for another phase of ‘pragati-purogati’ yatra in the election year. The MP and the Congress have roped in 15 artistes to propagate the welfare schemes being implemented by the State government, from Monday onwards. The Kalaa Jaatha that is all set to rock the city for a month will also verbalise the MP’s achievements and efforts in the development of the city. The programme, christened as ‘Pragati-Purogati Kalaa Jaatha’, will stage two shows a day in different parts of the city, covering all municipal divisions in a month.

Deputy Mayor Samanthapudi Narasaraju on Sunday said that the Congress party’s publicity wing, activists and corporators made arrangements for the proposed jaatha, which would begin at Ranigarithota in Krishnalanka.

Mr. Narasaraju said that the jaatha would perform up to three shows depending upon the division. The focus would be mostly on slums in the city, as slum-dwellers were required to know the welfare schemes being implemented by the government. The entire city would be covered in a month, he said, adding that if need be it would be extended by ten days.

The artistes would perform mimicry, skits, and six playlets on subjects like Rajiv Arogyasri, white ration cards and Rs. 2-a-kg rice scheme. In all, 15 songs and six dances would be performed.

‘Palle suddulu’

The artistes would stage ‘Palle Suddulu’, which promises to be one of the main attractions, from the make-shift dais on a mobile van during the jaatha.