Amaravati: Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu's decision to have a house warming ceremony at Velagupudu village in the wee hours of Monday has put the local farmers on cloud nine as they are hopeful of more development in the capital city area. However, the explanation put out by the state government and it citing the absence of auspicious days for next six months as the main reason for such a hurried inauguration of the secretariat has sowed the seeds of doubt amongst the staff. Many employees are mulling whether to shift to the new location during an 'inauspicious period'.
Even though they are all supposed to move into the new secretariat by June, the ruling dispensation has done precious little to motivate the lot who are already upset over unnecessary preference being given to irrational things such as Muhurat. It is worth noting that Naidu is not going to perform the puja in the block dedicated as the chief minister's office but in another which would be used by the staff in due course.
Some employees strongly feel that the CM should have postponed the house warming ceremony to October or November after the completion of CMO and assembly buildings. The puja should ideally be done when the CM actually enters his office and not right now, an employee said on the condition of anonymity. Normally, government offices or public utilities are inaugurated by VIPs after seeing auspicious Muhurat depending on their convenience but the public is allowed to utilise the facilities till then. In some cases, utilities are thrown open much before the performance of any puja.
The Chandrababu Naidu regime's focus on Muhurats while taking crucial decisions with regard to Amaravati is leaving almost every issue in limbo. It may be recalled that the CM first performed bhoomi puja for the capital city at Mandadam village in Guntur district on June 6, 2015. Four-and-a-half months later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the same project at nearby Uddandarayunipalem on October 22.
"How can the state government insist on all employees shifting to new location when it itself believes that there are no Muhuratams after April 30? On their part, at least a few of the staff may well try to take advantage from huge publicity for astrology," chided social activist Dr Seva Kumar.
The present situation has put the employees in a tizzy. In fact, it made those who are not rigid with astrology too turn overcautious. "My wife is not allowing me to shift to Vijayawada till the completion of Krishna Pushkarams for fear of facing inauspicious days. I have to shuttle between the workplace and Hyderabad till my next move," said a secretariat employee.
Astrology does not bar house shifting or relocation due to transfers but employees will obviously go by the popular sentiments as no one wants to take risks, said an astrologer.
Pandit Srinivasa Gargeya, whom the state government regularly consults on astrological matters, said that there are some auspicious days in August before the launch of Krishna Pushkarams and after the pushkarams. He dubbed the period between August 3-11 and August 25-28 as okay for relocation or shifting. "Venus will go close to Sun and become almost unconscious from April 30. Since the blessings of Venus is important to go for auspicious works like wedding or griha pravesa, we advise not to perform such things when Venus is in Asthamgatha. Despite Venus rising from the western side from July, ashadha masam will again leave us without auspicious days," Gargeya told TOI.
He explained that Varalakshmi vratham is falling on the first day of Krishna Pushkarams, for the first time in history. He said that there are bountiful of auspicious days only during Dasara which happens in October. "The CM performing puja for interim secretariat is enough for the employees to enter into their office spaces subsequently as Monday's Muhurat is very powerful," Gargeya emphasised.
Nevertheless, not everybody is willing to accept such averments. "What the government doing is all nonsense. Why should there be a puja to run the government? It is nothing but encouraging unscientific practices," fumed former IMA president Dr G Samaram. Outmoded customs and traditions have no place in the modern world, the physician said, adding that governments should promote scientific temper among the citizens.