Representatives cautioned on unveiling statues

HYDERABAD: The state government has asked elected representatives to verify if permission has been obtained for installation of statues before they unveil them. In case they unveil unauthorised statues, the government will take action. The cabinet sub-committee on installation of statues, which was set up by the government on April 4 last year after the demolition and desecration of statues of great leaders and other luminaries on the Tank Bund during the Telangana Million March on March 10 that year, met here on Monday for the first time to discuss the recent desecration of statues of national leaders.The sub-committee consists of N Raghuveera Reddy, K Jana Reddy, Dharmana Prasad Rao, M Maheedhar Reddy and Vatti Vasanth Kumar.Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Vasanth Kumar said the roads and buildings department had issued GO No 55 on April 18, 2003 fixing rules and regulations for installation of new statues of leaders.The sub-committee felt that the order was being violated and statues were being unveiled according to the whims and fancies of present- day politicians, and decided to take steps for effective implementation of the GO, he said. The minister said elected representatives should verify before unveiling a statue whether permission had been granted by the authorities concerned for erection of that statue.Inauguration of unauthorised statues by elected representatives was violation of rules and regulations, and action would be taken against them, he cautioned.“District collectors will be asked to send information on statues, which were erected without permission, to the state government. It was also decided to take steps for protection of statues of national leaders,” he said.On the issue of re-installation of statues on the Tank Bund, the tourism minister admitted that there was delay in the tender process. The issue would be sorted out and statues would be installed in a given time-frame, he said. The cabinet subcommittee decided to install the statues of some more Telangana luminaries on the Tank Bund, he said.