Hyderabad: GHMC Commissioner R.V. Karnan has turned his attention to the long-shut Gowlipura slaughterhouse, stepping in personally to inspect the site and weigh a full-scale reopening. The facility, once a key meat processing hub under city management, has been out of action for years. Now it might just get a second lease of life.
Karnan visited the premises with civic officials, walked the site, met with locals, and took stock of the situation first-hand. What he heard? The facility – popularly known as Gowlipura Mekalamandi – used to run smoothly until a legal dispute from a colony resident pushed it into shutdown.
Locals told him that families dependent on the slaughterhouse have struggled since operations stopped. The case has been settled for a while, they added, and urged the commissioner to restore machinery, utilities, and basic amenities. Karnan assured them repairs to the building, equipment upgrades, and water supply fixes would begin soon. He’s already directed the project engineer to prepare a detailed proposal.
But here’s the twist: the land it sits on is tangled in controversy. The slaughterhouse is located on 4.2 acres owned by GHMC. But back in 1961, an additional 3 acres were bought by the erstwhile MCH (Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad). That extra patch – now reportedly worth ₹200 crore – has become a mystery. No one’s quite sure who actually controls it.
Members of the Are Katika Sangham have raised repeated complaints, pressing for clarity. In response, Karnan ordered the estate wing to compile a full report based on ground inspection.
The Gowlipura slaughterhouse traces its roots back to the Nizam era. But in 2003, it was shut down following a High Court order. Since then, various groups have allegedly tried to claim the land. Insiders say a few revenue and civic officials even played along with encroachers, helping them slowly swallow up the property.
The trouble deepened in 2010 when the Hyderabad District Collector at the time, Naveen Mittal, approved a mutation transferring the disputed 3 acres to private names. GHMC fought back in court, insisting the land was theirs. When Gulzar became collector later, he cancelled the mutation and declared the land public property again.
That decision sparked another round of legal battles, but it also cleared the way for a fresh start. The state even brought in Ramky to build a modern slaughterhouse on the site, spending ₹7 crore on the upgrade.
Now, as Karnan pushes to reopen the facility, all eyes are on whether he’ll also take a stand on the disputed land. With big money and political interest at play, the Commissioner’s next move could decide whether Gowlipura’s meat trade lives again – or stays stuck in limbo.