Hyderabad, Feb 28 (TNT): Amid sharp criticism from the main Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the Telangana Government on Saturday evening revoked the allotment of land belonging to Sharada Peetham to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB).
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy directed officials to cancel the allocation orders and restore the land to the spiritual organisation.
The controversy erupted after the Opposition questioned the government’s decision to allot the Peetham’s land at Kokapet to the Water Board and alleged irregularities in the process.
Following representations from Sharada Peetham authorities over ongoing construction activity on their land, the Chief Minister convened a meeting with senior officials at the State Secretariat and reviewed the matter.
Expressing displeasure over not being informed about the construction activity at the time of allotment, Revanth Reddy instructed officials to immediately revoke the orders issued in favour of the Water Board and ensure that ownership of the land remains with the Peetham.
He also suggested that representatives of Sharada Peetham meet IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu to apprise him of the status of construction and related issues.
Meanwhile, former Minister and senior BRS MLA T. Harish Rao, who visited the temple earlier in the day, said that in 2019 the then BRS government had sanctioned two acres of land to Sharada Peetham for the construction of the Rajashyamala Temple. The requisite registration fee was paid and the temple was constructed, he said.
Alleging that the present government was attempting to demolish the temple, Harish Rao charged that the move was politically motivated and aimed at erasing the legacy of former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao.
“A temple is not a mere structure. The move to demolish it is an attack on the sentiments and rights of Hindus. The BRS will stand by the temple management and stage protests if the plans are not shelved,” he said.
He further questioned why the government could not construct a HMWSSB office on government land opposite the temple instead of acting against the temple management.
TNT TS
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