All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) floor leader in the Assembly Akbaruddin Owaisi requested Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to develop the Simhavauhini Mahankali temple at Lal Darwaja in Old City.
Mr. Owaisi, who called on the Chief Minister at Pragathi Bhavan on Sunday, recalled that Bonalu being held in the temple every year was reputed across the world as Lal Darwaja Bonalu, which witnesses thousands of pilgrims. The temple area could not be developed because of lack of space and this was in turn causing several problems to devotees.
The festival has more than a 100 years of history. “But the temple complex is situated in a 100-square yards area. Due to the narrow space, it is causing immense problems to lakhs of devotees,” he said in a memorandum submitted to Mr. KCR. He urged the CM to develop the temple and widen it at a cost of ₹10 crore.
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“This development can result in loss of properties of people living in the vicinity. They can be compensated with a 800-square yards land at Fareed market, under the purview of the GHMC,” he added.
He wanted Mr. KCR to consider widening the temple on a priority basis and reminded that the CM himself had offered a golden bonum at the Mahankali temple.
Mr. Owaisi also requested Mr. KCR to sanction ₹3 crore for renovation of the Afzalgunj masjid.
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The CM, according to an official release, responded positively to the requests and assured that funds required for the development of Mahankali temple and Afzalgunj masjid would be released soon. He instructed chief secretary Somesh Kumar to take the necessary measures for the development of these two places of worship.