The East Godavari police on Wednesday kick-started the district-level Sankranthi festival to encourage rural sports and divert the rural folk from illegal entertainment sources, including cockfights and gambling.
East Godavari SP M. Raveendranath Babu and Pithapuram MLA Pendem Dorababu inaugurated the festival here. The police are conducting the festival in all the divisional headquarters with exclusive sports for men and women in the rural pockets.
Addressing the gathering here, Mr. Babu said the method of celebrating Sankranthi had been diverted with the dominant illegal entertainment ways, including cockfights and gambling.
“The one-week Sankranthi festival celebrates the village life. The festival is being conducted with the support of the local public representatives. The youth and public need to turn up with their talent and celebrate the festival in a traditional way,” he said.
The divisional level tournaments were being conducted for the local youths in kho kho, volleyball and kabaddi, and rangavalli for girls and women. The finals of the respective events and sports would be held on January 11.
Mr. Babu appealed to the youth to keep themselves away from cockfights. On the other hand, the police have stepped up the vigil on the cockfight organisers in the district.