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Dear KCR, Telangana's Parade Ground is more important than your fancy vaastu needs

  • KCR moves Center to shift the Telangana Secretariat to Parade Grounds in Secunderabad.
  • This has led to protests by the opposition party and environmentalists who believe that the demolition of the old building is a way to earn money.
  • The Telangana government has demanded 150 acres of the defence land for the purpose of constructing the new secretariat.
Dear KCR Telanganas Parade Ground is more important than your fancy vaastu needs

There seems to be no end to the whims and fancies of the chief minister of Telangana- K Chandrashekhar Rao. In the fag end of 2016, there were reports about the chief minister's plan to build a vaastu-compliant secretariat as he believes that the present office is not vaastu compliant, which is why the previous government was not able to deliver. 

He had reportedly requested the governor to ask Andhra Pradesh to hand over the blocks of 2.25 acres, which was allotted to them at the Secretariat post bifurcation. 

Inside sources, however, paint a different picture currently. A reliable source was quoted as saying that after pinpointing several locations in Hyderabad, KCR has now set his eye on the Parade Grounds in Secunderabad. According to a report by the DNA, he had also submitted a letter to the Centre asking them for the defence land in the Cantonement area of Secunderabad. However, unlike this report, our exlusive source suggests that the proposal has also been accepted. It is said that KCR used his influences and urged the governor of Telangana to speak to the Centre about the proposal. The source also gives an exact number to the area of land demanded by the Telangana government and the approval of the same.  He says that the government has demanded 150 acres of the defence land for the purpose of constructing the new secretariat.

Meanwhile, locals and opposition parties have started staging a protest against the proposal saying that the Parade Grounds are the only available space in Hyderabad. Otherwise, the entire city is infested by concrete jungles. Spokesperson of the opposition Congress party, Krishank, speaking to ANI said, "He (Rao) wants to build a secretariat on the Parade Grounds for better vastu. People have a long association with the parade grounds and in order to protect it, we are staging protests by raising slogans , carrying placards since past seven days."

The new secretariat will also have a Church, Masjid , Gurudwara along with an Ammavaru (Mysamma) temple on its premises. 

RamChander Rao, a member of the Legislative Council, BJP said, "Parade grounds stood as a symbol of strength and sacrifices for us. I myself have been a resident and did my schooling from the same area. It would be more sensible if this government makes efforts to ask roads of AOC centre which are under defence area be used for civilians."

Economists and political analysts have a different concern altogether. "Demolition and construction both needs money and it will come from the public's pocket. One cannot really blame the public if they feel cheated. In every possibility, KCR may earn a huge profit from the commission he might demand from the contractor."

Environmentalists, however, cry hoarse about the ecological ramifications of the demolition and the re-construction. Located at a complaisant spot, the secretariat is close to the Hussain Sagar lake, which is considered a green patch in the heart of teh city. If the secretariat is demolished, it will not only make the landscape ugly, but will also affect the environmental balance here. Moreover, the Parade Ground is considered the breathing space of the city. If even that is clogged, there will be increasing traffic and pollution in the area.

The design

In an earlier news report by Asianet Newsable, KCR had already approved a design based on his own vision of how the secretariat will look like. The design bears a close resemblance to North and South Blocks of New Delhi's Central Secretariat. Similar to the design in New Delhi, the T- secretariat also will have two such blocks, which will be connected by central chief minister’s office at the far end, just like Rashtrapati Bhavan which lies at the end of the road that separates the two blocks in Delhi. 
 
The new secretariat will also have a Church, Masjid , Gurudwara along with an Ammavaru (Mysamma) temple on its premises. 

It now remains to be seen, whether KCR changes his plan under public pressure or the Vaastu ghost continues to haunt him. 


 

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