The opposition to Telangana government's decision to construct a brand new Secretariat at the Bison Polo ground in Secunderabad seems to be gaining momentum with prominent citizens stepping forward.
Ex-DGP MV Bhaskara Rao, former cricketer Vivek Jaisimha, war veteran and squadron leader Anil Bhalla and chartered accountant Turlapati Bharadwaj who are residents of Secunderabad have moved the Hyderabad high court to protect the Bison Polo and Gymkhana Grounds considering their historical importance as per a report by Sagar Kumar Mutha in Times of India.
The petitioners informed the court in the plea that the government is trying to take over 33 acres of Bison Polo Ground and 22 acres of Gymkhana Ground to construct new Secretariat, Assembly and Kala Bharati buildings.
They urged the court to not to allow the state government to destroy the state cultural symbols, since the existing buildings are sufficient for secretariat and assembly.
Besides the new Secretariat building, the Telangana government has also been preparing to construct a new Kala Bharati and Hari Hara Kala Bhavan.
The petitioners alleged that the government is taking this up due to unscientific Vastu beliefs, and also found fault with Union defence ministry's approval to the project, the TOI report added.
The case is likely to come up for hearing next week.
The petitioners have contended that all the major cities in the country have their historical and cultural landmarks which need to be protected.
Congress too opposed the government decision and held several protests in the city, while holding a campaign called "Save Bison Polo".
Telangana TDP leaders have asked the government to construct double bedroom houses on the acquired land for the poor.
Meanwhile, according to reports, the Telangana Roads and Buildings ministry has readied an indicative plan for the supposed Secretariat complex.