Published Feb 28, 2026 | 10:30 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 28, 2026 | 10:30 PM
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy reportedly expressed anger over officials' failure to inform him about the ongoing construction on the site.
Synopsis: The allotment was cancelled after representatives of the Visakha Sarada Peetham raised concerns directly with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who reportedly expressed anger over officials’ failure to inform him about the ongoing construction on the site.
The Telangana government took a U-turn on Saturday, 28 February, and cancelled the recent allotment of land belonging to the Visakha Sarada Peetham in Kokapet to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB).
The decision came after representatives of the Peetham raised concerns directly with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who reportedly expressed anger over officials’ failure to inform him about the ongoing construction on the site.
The controversy erupted over the allocation of 3.95 acres in the Khanapur campus area of Neopolis, Kokapet, to HMWSSB for developing water infrastructure, including a sump, pump house, section office, ground-level service reservoir (GLSR), and sewage treatment plant (STP).
This included two acres originally allotted to the Sharada Peetham in 2019 by the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government for the construction of the Rajashyamala Temple.
The move was intended to address surging drinking water demand in the rapidly urbanising Neopolis and surrounding areas along the Outer Ring Road, as part of the Godavari Drinking Water Supply Project Phases II and III, which aim to supply an additional 300 million gallons per day (MGD) to replenish the Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs for the Musi River rejuvenation initiative.
According to an official release, the allotment was justified by the need for a gravity-based water supply to areas such as Neopolis, Kokapet, Bojagutta Reservoir, Old City, Shaikpet, Red Hills, and Mehdipatnam, which would also help save on electricity costs. In exchange, alternative land was provided to the Peetham in Shamshabad under Survey Number 725 in an HMDA layout.
However, the decision sparked a backlash, with BRS leader and former minister T. Harish Rao visiting the Rajashyamala Temple on Saturday morning to protest what he described as the government’s targeting of temples.
He accused the Congress government of politically motivated actions, claiming that the government intended to demolish the temple to make way for HMWSSB works, despite the availability of government land directly opposite the site.
He alleged that police and revenue officials had arrived at the temple on Friday night, prevented staff from performing pujas, and questioned why the government was on a demolition drive. He vowed that the BRS would stage protests if the plans proceeded and urged IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu to intervene.
Meanwhile, Peetham representatives brought the issue to the Chief Minister’s attention. In a meeting held at the State Secretariat on Saturday evening, Revanth Reddy reviewed the ongoing construction activities on the Peetham’s land in Kokapet.
Expressing displeasure with officials for not updating him on the matter, he directed them to immediately revoke the allotment orders and restore ownership to the spiritual organisation. He also advised the Peetham representatives to meet Minister Sridhar Babu to discuss the construction status and related issues.
In a subsequent statement, Harish Rao welcomed the cancellation as a “victory of dharma” and a triumph for devotees, attributing it to the grace of Goddess Rajashyamala.
He appreciated the decision to continue the Peetham’s ownership of the land, which was originally allocated to the Peetham by the then chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao when the BRS was in power.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
