Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Monday directed the archaeology department and the state government to file a status report within four weeks on setting up a golf club within the precincts of Golconda fort, especially at naya qila and the moat of Jamali Kunta.
A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Jukanti Anil Kumar, was dealing with a petition filed by the People's Union for Civic Action and Rights and Forum For Better Hyderabad, in 2008 alleging damage to the fort seeking to preserve the naya qila. The petitioners also complained that because of the golf club, people will not have a chance to access the qila and talab.
In 2008, the then government allotted 105 acres of land belonging to Golconda fort to the Hyderabad Golf Club to set up a golf club.
This land falls in naya qila fort area, an ASI-protected monument which, as per the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958, should be manned by the central body alone. But, an MoU was signed in 2007 between the state tourism department and Hyderabad Golf Association to allot land in and around Golconda fort to develop the area and promote tourism. ASI also gave the consent, without any objections. Challenging the same several petitions and PILs were filed and in most of them, the court had sought reports.
When the petition came for hearing on Monday, the bench directed the authorities to file a status report within four weeks.
