Row over installing statues near Ramanthapur Pedda Cheruvu
Uppal: The issue of installing statues of prominent personalities near the Ramanthapur Pedda Cheruvu has become controversial taking a political colour. The Uppal police have registered a case following a complaint lodged by GHMC officials against unauthorised installation of the idols. They police have posted a picket at the chevuru tankbund.
The controversy arose after a decision was taken to install statues under the leadership of local MLA N V S S Prabhakar. On April 9 midnight five statues were put up. Some local residents lodged a complaint with GHMC that they were being installed without permission. Following the complaint, ACP Sandeep Gone and Inspector Venkateshwarlu deployed heavy police security at the spot.
Prabhakar questioned as to how a case can be registered against him. He contended that the statues were being put up at the instance of some local residents, while expressing his resolve to install them. The MLA declared he would not be afraid of cases and that the statues would be installed.
The Revenue department officials maintain that the Ramanthapur Pedda Cheruvu was under the ‘shikam’ patta and that it was spread out in survey numbers 42, 43, 44 across 32 acres. They stated that with the construction of multi-storeyed buildings the cheruvu land has shrunk. Some local residents have claimed that they had purchased plots in the cheruvu land decades back. The issue of plots is pending in the High Court, which has issue a status quo. It ordered that there should not be any construction activity in the charuvu area.
On Monday some local residents took out a padayatra from the MLA’s house in Ramanthapur to express protest. Among the participants were L B Nagar MLA R Krishnayya, Thirigi Ashok Reddy, Vallapu Jagan Yadav, Mahankali Lakshman, Eega Srinivas, Ravula Balakrishna, Revelli Raju, Srinivasa Sharma, D Devender Reddy, E Narasimha Reddy, Devasani Balachander, Parvesh Singh, Gorige Krishna, Nagaraju Goud, Jaipal Reddy, Rayol Babu.