Public wanted lung space

Residents intensified their protests soon after the TS government issued GO No 73 on April 23 directing the GHMC to hand over the stadium land to the department of culture for constructing Kalabharati.

The stadium, which is surrounded by lower middle class and middle class colonies, has been catering to them. Besides there are seven primary and government high schools around this stadium and the students have no playground except the stadium.

The stadium is also used for religious activities and exhibitions. All these factors have evoked sharp protests from residents forcing the government to scout for alternate land.

Sources said the government is in favour of DBR Mills land since it is located in Lower Tank Bund which is near the stadium.

There is a legal dispute on this valuable land with some private firms and individuals claiming ownership. The government is confident of securing the land since it is 'inam land' allotted by Nizam in 1920s which was transferred to the government automatically.

The LIC had bought the NTR stadium land from private individuals in 1980s. Later, the income tax department purchased the land from LIC to build residential quarters for its officials and applied to the then MCH for permission.

Permission was denied on the ground that the land falls under the 'recreation zone' according to the city master plan, which was challenged by the I-T department in the High Court. The High Court ruled against constructions on this land. The judgement was upheld by the Supreme Court.

The then Chief Minister Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy and Musheerabad MLA M. Kodanda Reddy had resolved the issue in the early 1990s by allotting land to the I-T department in Banjara Hills in lieu of the stadium land.