Hyderabad: The Telangana state government has recommended 25 names for Padma awards this year.
It pruned the list by more than half after only one of the recommended 56 names received the award last year. The list includes singers Goreti Venkanna, Andesri and others for Padma Shri.
The government has also recommended Olympic badminton silver medallist P.V. Sindhu for Padma Bhushan. Interestingly, the AP government also recommended Sindhu.
The other names that figure in the list include Dr Chennameneni Hanumantha Rao (economist and writer and member of National Advisory Council (2004-2008) and Prof Shiv K. Kumar (poet and novelist) for Padma Vibhushan.
Goretti Venkanna, writer and signer, who played a key role in the Telangana statehood agitation with his songs, has been recommended for Padma Shri.
Andesri, who penned the popular Jaya Jaya He Telangana song that united all sections of the people in Telangana to fight for statehood has also been recommended for Padma Shri.
Educationist Chukka Ramaiah, who created awareness about IITs among rural students and lyricist Suddala Ashok Teja were also recommended for Padma Sri.
Interestingly, almost all these names figured in the list of personalities who were recommended in the previous two years (2015 and 2016) but ignored by the Centre.
Last year, only K. Laxma Goud (popular painter) received the Padma Shri out of total recommendations made by the TS government.
Even Mr Goud’s name was recommended for a second time in 2016 after it was rejected by Centre in 2015.
Continuing with the policy, the TS government forwarded the list of 25 personalities again, of which the majority are of those who were recommended in the previous two years.
The list has late P.V. Narasimha Rao for the Bharat Ratna and Telangana ideologue late Prof. Jayashankar for the Padma Vibhushan.
Last time, the government had sent two lists to Centre. This time, it sent only one list after the application system was changed and made online.
The names were sent to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for approval. However, the CM selected only 25 names instead of over 50 in previous two years. The government was also asked to send its recommendations only online after its approval.
