Expressing dissatisfaction over the government filing a report on 27 historical monuments including Golconda fort in the last minute, the Telangana High Court has declined the government’s request to grant six months to undertake measures for development of those monuments.
A bench of Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy instructed the Youth Services and Tourism Principal Secretary to file a fresh status report by July 28 on the plan for re-development of the monuments. The bench was hearing arguments in a PIL plea on the dilapidated condition of Golconda fort and 26 other historical monuments.
The bench took up a report filed in a newspaper suo motu as PIL petition and issued notices to the government earlier. During the previous hearing, the bench directed Tourism Principal Secretary to file a report on the measures initiated by a re-development committee which was constituted following directions of the HC.
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The bench sought to know how many times the committee had met and why minutes of its meetings were not presented to the court. Special Government Pleader Harinder Pershad said the committee had inspected Golconda fort and other monuments on April 19 and prepared a plan of action to develop them.
He sought six months to present the report and steps taken by the committee. However, the bench instructed the committee to present the report within six weeks. It directed the committee to conduct a survey of all monuments, including Golconda fort, at the field level and take steps to develop them.