Hyderabad: BRS slams government for leasing out new building of Anis-ul-Ghurba for commercial use

He said while the K Chandrashekhar Rao government constructed a new building for the orphanage with Rs 20 crore at Nampally in Hyderabad, the new Congress government converted it into a commercial space for office use.

Hyderabad: BRS leader Chirumalla Rakesh Kumar accused the State government of neglecting minority welfare by converting the ‘Anis-ul-Ghurba’ orphanage into a commercial complex, leaving around 67 orphans in the lurch.

He said while the K Chandrashekhar Rao government constructed a new building for the orphanage with Rs 20 crore at Nampally in Hyderabad, the new Congress government converted it into a commercial space for office use.

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Speaking to mediapersons at Telangana Bhavan on Monday, Rakesh Kumar alleged that the Telangana Minorities Residential Educational Institutions Society (TMREIS) and the Telangana State Waqf Board, colluded to terminate the Wakf-run orphanage’s existence.

In violation of the Wakf rules, he said the Minorities Welfare department signed an MoU with TMREIS to lease out the orphanage building at an unusually low price of Rs 5 per sft against Rs 30 per sft being paid for the TMREIS office in Jubilee Hills.

“The State government should reconsider the arrangement and shift the orphans to their new building immediately. The government should make arrangements for smooth functioning of the orphanage,” he demanded.

The orphanage, founded in 1921, holds historical significance and has rich legacy of serving orphaned children. It was handed over to the Wakf Board for management in 2009. In 2017, the original building was demolished to construct a new building in place of Anis-ul-Ghurba.

Around 67 orphans living in the building, were temporarily shifted to the TMREIS hostels. The new building has a capacity of 600 children.