Telangana secretariat mosques’ construction delayed

Hyderabad: With just three days remaining until the inauguration of the new Telangana Secretariat building, the construction of the mosques within the complex is progressing at a slow pace, and it is expected to take an additional four months to complete.

Despite repeated assurances from Chief Minister KCR and Home Minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali that the azaan would be heard in the mosques before the inauguration, these promises have yet to be fulfilled, raising concerns about the government’s commitment to its pledges.

A representative from Siasat visited the area to review the construction work of the temple, church, and mosques. Surprisingly, the government’s promise to build mosques at their original location has not been fulfilled, as the mosques are being constructed outside the Secretariat premises instead of their original location. As a result, the mosques in the Secretariat will no longer have any connection with the complex, and places of worship are being built outside the boundary wall.

After the destruction of mosques in July 2020, it was announced that mosques would be rebuilt at their original location to ease the resentment of Muslims. The foundation stone was laid on November 25, 2021, in the presence of religious and political figures, 16 months after the demolition of the mosques. Efforts were made to assure the religious dignitaries attending the ceremony that the mosques were indeed being built at their original location, and the Chief Minister had decided to construct the imam and muezzin’s quarters on the land between the two mosques, which was also included under the mosques.

The government has allocated land for temples, churches, and mosques outside the secretariat, and a pathway will be provided for secretariat employees. The construction staff has stated that the authorities are currently focused on completing the final phase of the secretariat, with only three days left for the inauguration.

Chief Minister KCR has been informed that the completion of places of worship may take at least three months, and regular prayers may commence after four months. An attempt was made to convince the chief minister that experts from other states were being hired to comply with the design of the places of worship. The office bearers have said that only the secretariat will be inaugurated on April 30, and a large-scale pooja will be organized in the secretariat premises from morning.

As the inauguration approaches, there is unease among Muslims about the completion of mosques. In the old Secretariat, there was a new building of the mosque offices adjacent to the Chief Minister’s C block, while the old and small Masjid Hashmi was present below the D block.

The land of the mosques has been included in the design of the ambitious building for the new secretariat, and the parties, organizations, and personalities supporting the government, including minority leaders in the government and the ruling party, are aware that the mosques will not remain in their original place, but everyone seems to be excited.

According to Sharia, the location of mosques cannot be changed, but the foundation stone was laid at the new site by Ulema, Muslim scholars and Mashaikhs. Officials have stated that 50 percent of the work on the mosques has been completed, but work is pending in the interior. The work on the dome of the big mosque is in the final stages, and the work of installing minarets has not started.

The construction work on the imam’s and muezzin’s quarters has yet to begin. Initially, the government allocated Rs. 1 crore by allocating 1,600 square feet for the two mosques, but later the contractor gave an estimate of Rs. 2.90 crore. However, in the latest situation, the total expenditure is likely to be up to Rs. 4 crore. Muslim employees of the offices around the secretariat have confirmed that the two mosques are not in their original location. There has been no explanation from the government about the slow pace of construction work.