Sultan Bazaar's gain is Koti college's loss? HYDERABAD: In order to protect traders on the historic Sultan Bazaar stretch, will the lands belonging to the Koti women's college, be taken away for the re-aligned metro rail corridor?
It appears so. A group of men, reportedly from the Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd, visited the college campus recently to survey the lands. The college authorities told the men conducted a survey in the 42-acre college campus.
However, metro rail authorities denied it. Koti women's college or formally called the Osmania University College for Women operates from the campus which also houses the 207- year-old British Residency (in the then Nizam's dominion).
When contacted, Vikas Raj, secretary (higher education) to the State government and in-charge Vice-Chancellor of the Osmania University claimed ignorance. But college principal Prof BT Seetha said, 'If the government has decided to protect Sultan Bazaar, it should also protect the residency campus. We hear there is a plan to build a metro railway station here.'
HMR Managing Director NVS Reddy, on his part, maintained, 'Nothing has been decided yet. All discussions are happening at the cabinet level.' However, it appears the HMR is in no hurry to lay its hands on the controversial stretch.
To protect heritage monuments like the State Legislative Assembly, Mozamjahi market, Sultan Bazaar etc, construction work in the Falaknuma-Jubilee Bus Station corridor remains suspended.
Heritage experts say the college campus and in fact, the entire area has its own historical relevance. Apart from the residency building, there are three gates to the compound, wells, barracks, firing range etc at different corners of the campus.
A 250-year-old British cemetery too exists on the campus and representatives from the British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia(BACSA) have come forward to preserve it.
News Posted: 23 October, 2014
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