FAITH CURE: The fish `prasadam' being administrated by Bathini Harinath Goud to a patient on Saturday. - Photo: G. Krishnaswamy .

HYDERABAD: This year's fish `prasadam' programme concluded on Saturday with over 40,000 asthma patients from across the country turning up at Nampally Exhibition Grounds for its administration.

Officials overseeing the whole exercise informed that the figure of 40,000 may go up by a few thousands, by the time the `prasadam' concludes on Saturday night.

`Prasadam' administration has been receiving similar response from asthma patients since 2005. In 2005, the Fisheries Department had sold around 43,000 murrel fish while last year the figure was at 45,000.

"We had made elaborate arrangements and procured about 1.10 lakh murrels this year. The leftover fish have to be released in several tanks located in Ranga Reddy district," informed Additional Director of Fisheries C. Illaiah.

Diet regimen

On behalf of the Bathini family, Bathini Harinath Goud thanked the district administration for its support. "Believers of this cure from various States have come in large numbers. Since it was Saturday, several patients decided to take `prasadam' along with jaggery," Mr. Harinath Goud said. Patients who have taken the `prasadam' have to follow strict regimen of diet as suggested by members of the Bathini family.

Patients will also have to take additional `prasadam' provided to them in three successive forthcoming `Karthis', i.e. Arudra Karthi, Punnavasu Karthi and Pushyami Karthi, falling on June 22, July 6 and July 20 respectively.

"Patients would have to take the additional medicine strictly on these three days for good results. We have already distributed pamphlets ," Mr. Harinath Goud informed.

Flayed

Jana Vignana Vedika has criticised the State Government for spending public money in making arrangements for distribution of fish `prasadam' which has no scientific validity in treating asthma.

It also took exception to the involvement of district administration in promoting the distribution of fish `medicine' in a big way.

JVV senior member and MLC V.Balasubramanyam and State JVV secretary T.Ramesh who organised a campaign at the venue Exhibition Grounds and distributed pamphlets to educate people about the unscientific claims of Bathina brothers, said that they refer to the fish medicine as `prasadam' in court to escape the law, they were promoting it as medicine to treat asthma.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail