Hyderabad, Jun 2 (IANS): Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday launched state formation day celebrations by hoisting the national flag and paying tributes to the Telangana martyrs.

The chief minister took the salute from police contingents at a colourful ceremony held at the newly-created state secretariat.

Attended by about 15,000 people, the ceremony marked the beginning of 21-day celebrations across the state.

The decennial celebrations will highlight the progress achieved by Telangana in various sectors during the last nine years.

Telangana came into being as the 29th state on June 2, 2014, following mass agitation led by K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), who had revived the movement in 2001 by floating Telangana Rashtra Samithi.

State ministers and district collectors led the celebrations held in all 33 districts. They unfurled the national flag and reviewed the parade by police. During their speeches, they highlighted the rapid strides made by the state in a short span of time.

Earlier, KCR offered tributes to Telangana martyrs at Martyrs' Memorial at Gun Park near state Assembly.

Ministers, legislators, Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari, Director General of Police (DGP) Anjani Kumar and other senior officials also offered tributes.

The formation day celebrations were also organised at Raj Bhavan, where Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan unfurled the national flag.

For the first time, the government of India also organised Telangana formation day. Union Minister for Culture and Tourism G. Kishan Reddy unfurled the national flag at Golconda Fort.

Telangana formation day celebrations were also held at Telangana Legislative Assembly and Council. Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy hoisted the national flag at the Assembly. Council chairman G. Sukhender Reddy unfurled the national flag at Council premises.

Formation day was also celebrated at Telangana High Court. Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan hoisted the national flag.