Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy met defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday and urged him to transfer 222.27 acres of defence land for the development of Bapu Ghat in Langar Houz, a historic site at the confluence of the Isa and Musi rivers in Hyderabad, for the Musi River rejuvenation initiative.
The government intends to transform Bapu Ghat, where Mahatma Gandhi's ashes were interred, into an international centre promoting Gandhian philosophy. The CM briefed Rajnath Singh on the proposed Gandhi Sarovar Project at Bapu Ghat, which includes a knowledge hub, a meditation village, a handloom promotion centre, landscaped ghats, public entertainment spaces, museums and the Statue of Peace, which will be the tallest Mahatma Gandhi statue in the world.
“This Gandhi Sarovar project will not only preserve a site of immense historical significance but also foster international awareness of Gandhian ideals,” the Chief Minister said and urged the defence ministry to expedite the transfer of land to initiate the development works.
In a separate meeting with civil aviation minister K. Rammohan Naidu, the Chief Minister highlighted the state’s focus on improving transportation infrastructure and sought approvals for four airport projects in Telangana.
With regard to setting up Mamnoor airport in Warangal, the CM highlighted that Warangal, Telangana’s second-largest city, urgently needed an airport to boost regional connectivity.
The CM said a no-objection certificate (NOC) had been obtained from GMR, which handles the Shamshabad international airport, relaxing the required 150-km distance criterion. The CM said that the state government had allocated `205 crore for acquiring 253 acres of land for the Manmoor project and urged the civil aviation ministry to fast-track permissions.
With regard to the Palvancha airport in Bhadradri Kothagudem district, the CM explained that the land identified in the district was found unsuitable for airport construction. An alternative site of 950 acres has been identified in Palvancha and details have been submitted to the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
With regard to the airport in Peddapalli district, Revanth Reddy said that an alternative 591.24 acres had been identified in Anthargam following after a pre-feasibility survey determined that the initially proposed site was unviable.
The CM requested the Union minister to approve both the projects and initiate development without delay.
With regard to the airport in Adilabad, Revanth Reddy said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) possessed 369.50 acres in Adilabad. An additional 249.82 acres was required for full-scale airport operations.The CM said that the state government is prepared to acquire and transfer the additional land. The CM stressed the strategic importance of the airport for Adilabad, which has a significant tribal population.
