Telangana to hoist flag at Rani mahal of Golconda fort
10,000 people expected to attend; ASI custodian of venue area
By : kruthi gonwar
Update: 2014-08-07 00:17 GMT
Hyderabad: The Rani Mahal at the Golconda Fort has been finalised for hoisting the national flag for the first Independence Day celebrations of the new state of Telangana. With over 10,000 people expected to attend, the Telangana state government is organising performances by cultural troupes. There are plans to make the venue a permanent one.
In a meeting held on Wednesday evening, Telangana Chief Minister, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, discussed the arrangements with senior officials including the director general of police, Hyderabad district collector, GHMC commissioner and the Mayor.
“We are making arrangements for 10,000 people and the hoisting will be done at the Rani Mahal area. People will be seated on either side of the gardens. If we start the work now and set things properly, the venue will be made permanent,” said a source from the Hyderabad district collectorate.
Meanwhile, Ajay Misra, principal secretary to the government (political), denied reports of a dispute between the Army and state revenue officials over clearing of land near the fort that were aired by some TV channels.
This confusion between the Revenue department and the Army resulted in inspections by government officials. The state government has already sought permission from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which is the custodian of the fort. Fifty-one acres of land near the fort is under the control of the Army, while the flag hoisting venue is under the ASI.
“The venue has nothing to do with the Army. If needed, we will speak to Army officials if their land is taken for the celebrations,” principal secretary S. Narsing Rao told this newspaper.
“All arrangements are being made and there is no problem with permissions from the ASI or the Army. We will go by the rules,” he added.
Army officials have claimed that the 18 seedi land parcel on the West of the fort, which Mr Rao has directed to be cleared, is owned by them and not the Revenue department. However, as per the records available at the Hyderabad collector’s office, the land belongs to the Revenue department and no records of any land being given to the Army are available.
“The land issue will be sorted eventually, for now, we are focusing on the Independence Day celebrations. There was never any objection from anyone regarding the event. It is only about who claims the land. We have conducted many UNDP programmes at the fort so far. Even the ASI never had any objections; it’s just that we have to take measures to not harm any monuments,” said the source from the Hyderabad collectorate.