KTR to try and secure heritage tag for city
Hyderabad is popular, has historic places: KTR
Municipal administration minister K.T. Rama Rao said on Monday that the state government would make every effort to get Hyderabad recognised as a World Heritage City, just as Ahmedabad has recently been declared one by Unesco.
He was speaking at the inauguration of Deccan Park near the Quli Qutub Shahi tombs this morning. He admitted that it was a laborious process to get the recognition, but the government will complete the requisite formalities.
Hyderabad has a rich tradition and culture going back centuries, the minister said, and it has historical monuments such as the Charminar, Golconda fort, Osmania Hospital, the High Court and Mecca Masjid. The state government will be lobbying with the Centre to forward the request to Unesco, he added.
Mr Rama Rao said the city has been getting more foreign tourists and claimed that the government is taking steps to ensure it is a safe destination that tourists must visit. More tourist attractions will be added to Deccan Park to further this objective.
Hyderabad Lok Sabha member Asaduddin Owaisi took a more practical approach and asked the minister to improve the green cover in the city and also reduce pollution drastically. Katora Houz near the Golconda fort needs to be renovated and the government must make a quick survey to identify all heritage structures in the city so that repair and restoration work can start, he said.
Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya said the Centre had allocated `500 crore for the tourist circuit of Akkana caves, Mahbubnagar and Adilabad. He promised that the Centre would help the government secure the World Heritage City tag for Hyderabad.