Bara Shaheed Dargah to be developed with ₹15 crore in two years

The Bara Shaheed Dargah and its premises will be developed with ₹15 crore over the next couple of years, said Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board Chairperson Abdul Aziz on Wednesday (December 24).

Addressing the media at Command Control Centre in Nellore Municipal Corporation office, he said the board is going to build a Shahi Masjid at Bara Shaheed Dargah at a cost of ₹15 crore with the support of Minister for Minority Welfare N. Md. Farooq, Minister for MA&UD Ponguru Narayana and Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy. Most of the designs have been finalised, and tenders will be invited in January 2026. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has sanctioned ₹5 crore, and the rest will be arranged from other sources, he said.

Asked about the delay in the development, he said: “Earlier, we had prepared a budget of ₹5 crore for a sheet-roof structure for a multi-purpose hall that can be used by the devotees during Rottela Panduga and for other functions. Now, we have changed the plan.”

According to the new proposal, the Waqf Board wants to construct a reinforced cement concrete structure. Mr. Abdul Aziz has plans to seek the necessary funds from the Centre under Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) scheme of the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs.

He also shared another plan to establish an education centre in Nellore with the CSR funds, for which he has identified five acres of Waqf land in Parameshwari Nagar. He urged the Minister for MA&UD to financially support the construction of an international school for the poor.

Inspecting the land the same day, Mr. Narayana promised to establish such a school on the Waqf Board land with the help of donors.