Onam celebrations end in grandeur
Malayalis celebrated another Onam in a grand manner, showing unity and cultural grandeur. The government's tourism week celebrations also ended with a bang, without any complaints, by donning the colours of Onam. Onam is the national festival of Malayalis, irrespective of caste and religion. No matter how much time has changed, Malayalis all over the world do not fail to celebrate Onam. The Onam celebrations of the expatriates were also tinged with the sweetness of nostalgic memories. Tourism week celebrations were held under the auspices of the government in all districts of the state.
The capital district of Thiruvananthapuram was in full swing with a feast of different sights. People flocked to watch the cultural programs organized as part of the Onam celebrations. However, there were no untoward incidents as the police maintained proper law and order. Everyone deserves a round of applause, including Ministers like P.A. Muhammed Riyas, V. Sivankutty, G.R. Anil, M.B. Rajesh, MLAs like V. Joy, V.K. Prashanth, Antony Raju, officials, including Tourism Director Shikha Surendran, who supervised the Onam week-long celebrations, and the corporation employees who cleaned the city on the very night the week-long celebrations ended.
The timely distribution of salaries, festival allowances, Onam advances and other welfare pensions to government employees made the celebration sweeter. There was no dispute in the employment sector either. There was no protest over bonuses. Minister K.N. Balagopal's continued balancing act in financial management can be said to have made Onam colourful. In addition to the usual record-breaking liquor sales, Supplyco, KSRTC, Consumer Fed and Milma all made big gains during Onam. Supplyco made a turnover of Rs 386.19 crore. 57 lakh consumers visited outlets during the Onam fair that began on August 25. Strong intervention was made in the open market to stop the price hike. Coconut oil generated an income of Rs 74 crore. At an Onam time when the price of coconut oil was about to cross Rs 500, Kerafed reduced the price of coconut oil, which had risen to Rs 529, to Rs 479.
Milma sold 1,19,58,751 litres of milk in the five days before Uthradam. This is more than last year. There was also an increase in the sale of Curd. Consumer Fed also gained through Onam markets. KSRTC, which was operating at a loss, earned a collection of 10.19 crores on September 8 alone. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who inaugurated the Onam celebrations, was in the capital to supervise the week-long celebrations. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who set aside his differences to flag off the Onam procession, arrived with his wife, adding to the excitement of the Onam celebrations. Representatives from ten countries had come to watch the Onam programs. Kerala's Onam celebrations have earned a place on the world tourism map by attracting foreign tourists. Congratulations once again to everyone who gave Onam a boost without any complaints.