K Chandrasekhar Rao fails to get Golconda

Hyderabad: The Telangana government’s desire to have its own parade ground near Golconda may remain unfulfilled. Though it is nearly six months since the government requested the defence ministry to part with the land in lieu of an alternative parcel of land, the Union ministry has not made any commitment.

The government sought about 50 acres near the fort to locate its own parade ground. The government uses the defence ministry-owned Parade Ground at Secunderabad for Republic Day and and other major events including political ones. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had written a letter to the defence ministry proposing a land-for-land deal. “We have not received any communication from the defence authorities on the issue,” government adviser Dr K.V. Ramana Chary told this newspaper.

While this is so, the government and the defence ministry are heading for a standoff over the possession of 657 acres of government land in and around Hyderabad without documents. The Telangana government plans to lay claim over the land if the defence ministry fails to submit ownership documents.

With regard to the land at Golconda, defence personnel and Telangana revenue authorities conducted a survey of the 104-acre area in the possession of defence authorities in March. The government also considered another site in Shaikpet mandal in TS Survey Numbers 20, 246, 251, 257 and 280, which is also defence land.

Meanwhile, the defence ministry has kept the state’s plea for allotment of 60 acres of Polo Ground in Secunderabad for the new Secretariat, hanging. Though defence minister Manohar Parrikar reportedly gave formal approval, there is no response.

The request for lifting restrictions on free movement of traffic in the cantonment area too remains unresolved, though the defence minister promised to solve the issue by August 10.

“We made a request to defence minister on these issues, but so far no communication has been received from the ministry in this regard. I sent another letter recently. We are pursuing the matter,” said Dr S. Venug-opala Chary, special representative of Telangana in New Delhi, said.