Shifting of Telangana State Govt Secretariat to Erragadda T.B & Chest Hospital Site

Destruction of Heritage Structure & Green Cover

The State Govt. of Telangana issued G.O No Rt No.61 dated 27-01-2015 for shifting T.B and Chest Hospital from Erragadda to the old T.B Sanatorium in Anantgiri Hills in Vikarabad. This proposal, besides causing inconvenience to the Public/Patients, Hospital Staff, Medical Post Graduate Students etc, leads to destruction of the In-Patient Block of the Chest Hospital, a notified Heritage Building. Also results in loosing valuable Lung Space, right in the middle of commercial hub - "Green Belt" in the campus, a notified Urban Forest Area. It is bound to add to already existing high levels of Air Pollution and prevailing high temperatures in "Concrete Jungle" of Hyderabad .

Sinister Move Behind Proposed Shifting

If the Press Reports are to be believed, the main reason behind the entire episode of Chest Hospital Site, appears to be proposed shifting of the State Secretariat to Erragadda Site, as the present premises has serious "Vaastu Dosham" and it does not seem to meet the present Chief Minister's astronomical numbers. While every person is entitled to have his beliefs in Vaastu, Horoscope, Numerology etc, the public property and funds can not be squandered for satisfying the personal beliefs, whims & fancies of the incumbent of any official position.

Heritage has become a Mockery

As per the Press Reports, when asked about how the Government could tamper with the Heritage Structures of the Chest Hospital, Hon'ble Chief Minister is reported to have said "There is no sense in having mindless, meaningless heritage structures. ------Land has more ancient heritage than any other heritage structure. Does that mean that we should not touch Land?"

In the case of Hyderabad Metro Rail alignment in front of State Legislative Assembly Building, the same Chief Minister insisted on changing the alignment of Metro Rail, keeping in view the importance of "Heritage" of the Assembly Building, even agreeing to bear the heavy additional cost involved. Now we hear of demolishing of "Ravindra Bharathi" building and emptying of Hussain Sagar lake.

City is already Breathing Less

The Hon'ble A.P. High Court in its landmark judgement on WRIT PETITIONS W.P. Nos.25835/96 and 35/97, observed that "The city is already breathing less than required breath and further depletions, by acts of the State, of the lung spaces of the city will make the breathing more difficult" (Pages 51 - 52).

It was also observed that "Whatever little scope was available to argue that the Government of the State represent the sovereign and retained thus its eminent domain in deciding in respect of the use of a public place one way or the other is taken away by the Constitution (Seventy-Fourth Amendment) Act, 1992 and Article 243W(a) therein read with the list in the Twelfth Schedule" (Page 49).

Appeal

In the light of the position explained above, Telangana State Govt be urged to reconsider the proposal for relocating State Govt.Secretariat, if any, and shifting of Chest Hospital to Anantgiri Hills, Vikarabad. Let there be Transparency, Public Consultation and involvement of stake holders, the cardinal principles of Good Governance, in the decision making process.

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