Decks are finally cleared for opening of the controversy ridden Deccan Park near the Golconda Fort. This follows the High Court vacating the stay given on the State Wakf Tribunal order dismissing the Idgah Qutb Shahi managing committee claim on the disputed land.
With this the 31-acre park land has become litigation free paving way for opening of the Deccan Park hanging fire for the last 8 years. Recently the Quli Qutb Shah Urban Development Authority (QQSUDA) has erected a fence separating the Idgah land to protect its sanctity.
But throwing the park open to public is not that easy since it has gone to seed.
The Rs. 2.5 crore spent on the development of park by QQSUDA has literally gone down the drain.
Now it has to invest money afresh to make the park presentable.
Authorities plan to open it for morning walkers initially and then hand it over for restoration on PPP mode. The Rs. 40 lakh toy train in the park has rusted over the years and so is the musical fountain and the two boats. The law of disuse has caught up with them since they have never been operated since 2004. Recently the QQSUDA has converted the train track into a walking track.
‘No funds'
An objection made by the Archaeology and Museums Department has also put paid to these facilities. Modern attractions can't coexist with the adjacent Qutb Shahi tombs, a heritage complex, the Archaeology Department feels.
“Even if we want we have no money to restore the train and the fountain”, says R. Kishore Babu, administrator, QQSUDA.
Ever since the Deccan Park was developed in 1984 it is bogged down in controversy with the Idgah committee and the Archaeology department staking claim on the land. They maintain that part of their land has been encroached during development of the park.
Efforts to resolve the issue by involving the Karwan legislator, Afsar Khan, and the Idgah committee, were of little avail. This has resulted in the park remaining shut even though there is no such facility in the neighbourhood.
Now that the litigation is over, will the QQSUDA open it at the earliest?
