Hyderabad, Sep 10
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, on Wednesday, called on Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi and requested him to transfer 98.20 acres of Defence land in Hyderabad to the state government for the prestigious Gandhi Sarovar Project.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister apprised the Defence Minister of the state's plans to establish the "Gandhi Circle of Unity" at the confluence of the Musi and Esa rivers.
CM Revanth Reddy underscored that the Gandhi Sarovar Project will stand as an enduring emblem of national integration and the timeless ideals of Mahatma Gandhi.
During the meeting with Rajnath Singh in November last year, the Chief Minister had sought the transfer of 222.27 acres of defence land to the state for the development of the Gandhi Sarovar project at Bapu Ghat.
The state government proposes to develop Bapu Ghat at the confluence of the Esa and Musi Rivers, where the ashes of the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, were immersed.
The transfer of land was sought to facilitate the development of a centre to propagate Gandhi's philosophy at the global level.
The Chief Minister explained to the Defence Minister various components of the Gandhi Sarovar project. The state government proposes to develop a knowledge hub to propagate Gandhi's ideology, a meditation village, a handloom promotion centre, public entertainment spaces, a landscape, a statue of peace and a museum.
The Chief Minister also announced last year that the world's tallest statue of Mahatma Gandhi will be installed at Bapu Ghat.
Meanwhile, during the meeting, National Highways and Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, on Tuesday evening, the Chief Minister requested the sanction of a 12-lane greenfield road network connecting Bharat Future City to Bandaru Port via Amaravati.
The Chief Minister reminded the Union Minister that the development of a greenfield road network connecting the capital cities of the two Telugu States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana was assured in the AP Reorganisation Act 2004. Since Telangana does not have a seaport, the CM appealed to Gadkari to sanction a greenfield road to facilitate the transportation of goods from Hyderabad to the port directly.
CM Revanth Reddy briefed the Union Minister that 118 km of this greenfield road will be situated in Telangana, and the remaining part will be in Andhra Pradesh.
Gadkari assured that he will send an official team to Hyderabad to study the Bharat Future City-Amaravati-Bandar Port Greenfield Road project. The CM also said that a review will be held in Hyderabad on September 22 with NHAI.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While I appreciate the sentiment, I hope the government focuses on implementing Gandhi's actual principles - simplicity and serving the poor. Sometimes these grand projects become white elephants. Better to invest in basic amenities first.
The 12-lane greenfield road connecting to Bandaru Port is much needed for Telangana's economic growth! Since we don't have a seaport, this connectivity will boost trade and create jobs. Good that CM is pursuing both infrastructure and cultural projects simultaneously.
As someone who visited Hyderabad recently, the city needs more green spaces and cultural centers. The meditation village and handloom promotion center sound wonderful! Hope they maintain the ecological balance around the rivers though.
World's tallest Gandhi statue? 🤔 While I respect Bapu, maybe we should focus on living his ideals rather than building giant statues. The knowledge hub and meditation village are better ideas to actually promote his philosophy.
Interesting to see how state and central governments coordinate on such projects. The defence land transfer process can be complex, but it's good that both sides are discussing constructively. Hope this sets a positive precedent for other states too.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.