The GHMC’s attempt to restore a park have landed it in controversy.
The Corporation has been charged of occupying 2,177 sq. yards of the Wakf Board Muslim graveyard behind the Osmania General Hospital mortuary. Afzalgunj police station registered a case a complaint in this regard.
As per 1986 records, the area belongs to the Wakf Gazette which was occupied by the GHMC to develop it into a park, claimed the Wakf Board.
The Osmania GH mortuary is approximated to cost around Rs 30 crore.
Mr Syed Taraq Quadri, a former member of the AP Minorities Commission and member of the private Muslim Property Protection Cell said:
“Following complaints from locals, a private Muslim land protection cell inspected the area and found that the GHMC had already deployed a JCB excavator, broken the old boundary wall that had a unique arch and had already excavated 10 feet by 100 feet.
“They have also disturbed the graves and damaged the old dargah, which was constructed even before the Osmania General Hospital came into existence. On October 30, the team filed a complaint at the Afzalgunj police station against the GHMC and at present the excavation work has been stopped”.
Balasubramaniam Reddy, South Zone Commissioner, meanwhile said, “The area belongs to the Corporation and the GHMC is trying to restore the earlier existing park called Afzal Park. If one visits the site, one can see that there is a board with the name of the park. The GHMC will go ahead and restore the park for the general public.”