Orphans and semi-orphans staying in the Victoria Memorial Home at Saroornagar will now have to move and make space for unlikely guests in Khakhi uniforms.
The sprawling premises of the Home is all set to accommodate the Rachakonda Police Commissioner’s headquarters, with the State government passing orders favouring transfer of 10 acres of the home’s land to the Home department on lease for 11 years.
The order was issued by the SC Development Department on August 11, but was not displayed on the website along with the other orders issued on the day.
Heritage building
Total usable area for construction of commissionerate works out to 32,348 square yards and lease amount was fixed at ₹35,000 per square yard per annum.
The 73-acre campus houses a heritage building commissioned by Sixth Nizam Mir Mahbub Ali Khan for his own residence, but later donated to the Victoria Orphanage and Technical School in 1905. The name was changed to Victoria Memorial Home, upon a suggestion by first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru in 1953.
In 1994-95, the Home was converted to a regular residential educational institution, and now has over 600 students, most of them girls, and semi-orphans.
CM’s backing
The decision to accommodate Rachakonda Police Commissionerate here is disputed, as it apparently goes against the objectives of Nizam’s Endowment which said the gift was for educational purposes.
The Home is now governed by an Executive Committee chaired by the Minister for SC Development (SCD). Governor is the Chief Patron.
Stiff opposition
According to official sources, the proposal was opposed by all the members, yet actively pursued by the Home Department under the stewardship of the Chief Minister.
Earlier, significant portions the Home’s land were leased out to Rythu Bazar, Babu Jagjivanram Bhavan, and Reliance fuel station. Ten acres was acquired for the national highway.
A GO issued in 2008 mandates that the entire area of VM Home be developed as a “model educational cum rehabilitation centre for orphan children” comparable to Hyderabad Public School. No land should be parted with for any other developmental purposes.