JP urges KCR to spare NTR Stadium, Indira Park

Lok Satta Party founder president Jayaprakash Narayan said that the Chief Minister, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, should seriously consider the demand of opposition parties not to construct Kala Bharathi at the NTR Stadium.

He said that the opposition parties did not object to construction of Kala Bharathi as being projected by Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao. They only appealed to him to continue the NTR Stadium as sports ground for children and youth.

“We welcome Kala Bharathi. But in its name, it is not proper to destroy places that serve as lung spaces, play grounds and public places to celebrate religious festivals by all communities and turn them into concrete jungles,” he said.

There are several sites in the city that could be utilised for the purpose, he said and recalled that even Supreme Court in the past had directed against constructions in places allotted for play grounds.

Dr. JP also criticised the proposal to construct Vinayak Sagar by destroying the popular Indira Park with thousands of trees in the vicinity of Hussainsagar to facilitate immersion of Ganesh idols. He said it was imperative to protect and conserve the biggest park in the twin cities. The movement for protection of NTR Stadium, Indira Park and construction of Kala Bharathi in another site launched by Lok Satta Party was getting support from various political parties and people’s organisations. The signature campaign, sending post cards and missed call to 86880 47100 launched in support of their movement was getting a huge public response, he said.

It was not right on part of the Chief Minister to blame the opposition parties when people were protesting his decision to replace NTR Stadium with Kala Bharathi and Indira Park with Vinayak Sagar, he said.

Dr. JP urged the Chief Minister to think realistically without taking it as a prestigious issue and shift the proposed construction of Kala Bharati to the defunct DBR Mills site or any other area.

Suggests that the Chief Minister take up construction of Kala Bharathi at DBR Mills site instead of NTR Stadium