Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao wants to build a new Secretariat? Soon after bifurcation, TRS government was keen on re-locating the Secretariat. KCR had said that the Secretariat’s bad vaastu was an impediment to the progress of a united Andhra Pradesh first, and now Telangana. He first set his eyes on the Chest Hospital in Erragadda. However the proposal was shelved following protests. Later, the Telangana government made it appear like it will pitch for the 37-acre Parade Ground, which too is under army control. It led to protests from hundreds of morning walkers. Now the state government is eyeing on the Bison Polo Ground and Gymkhana Ground in Secunderabad for setting up the new Secretariat.
This has invited sharp criticism from sportspersons, as this will not only wipe out the over 150-year-old sports history of the city in one stroke but also shatter the dreams of thousands of aspiring sportspersons. There are nearly a dozen other sports besides cricket are played at Gymkhana. Every day, hundreds of youngsters make a beeline to Gymkhana, which has a rich sporting legacy, to hone their skills in football, hockey, basketball, volleyball, handball, tennis, roller-skating, boxing, athletics, handball and softball.
While the distraught sportspersons are praying the government desists from its proposed move so Hyderabad can continue to nurture its future champions on these hallowed grounds, many people have been left wondering as to what is wrong with the existing complex that is located in a prime location in the heart of the city. They consider it as a meaningless decision, given that the present Assembly is housed in the erstwhile Town Hall built by the Nizam, a magnificent structure with history and character.
Moreover it also needs to be realised that constructing the Secretariat by replacing the green cover is akin to putting the city into a toxic gas chamber and is synonymous to stabbing at its green lung space.