Hyderabad: Prof H Venkateshwarlu of Osmania University revealed that the Nizam government had laid a special railway line to Osmania university campus for construction of the Arts College building during 1934-39. The railway line was used to transport huge granite boulders and other construction material. According to a Time of India report, the Arts College building is perhaps the only structure on a university campus in India for which a new railway line was ever laid.
Prof. Venkateshwarlu further informed that the railway line had extended up to the department of chemistry the remnants of which can be seen behind the building that houses the chemistry department.
City historian and research scholar Dr Mohammad Safiullah also confirmed Prof. Venkateshwarlu’s revelation saying that the Nizam VII, Mir Osman Ali Khan, had utilised the two railway lines (Secunderabad-Vijayawada railway line and Secunderabad-Kachiguda railway line) passing in the vicinity of the university. He said granite boulders mostly from Nalgonda district were brought through railway wagons.
Dr Safiullah said the tracks from Tarnaka to chemistry department building were left unutilised after the completion of main university building.