Authorities in Telangana's Warangal district on Friday, 8 May denied media reports alleging that an ancient temple was demolished during construction work for a government school, clarifying that remnants of a dilapidated structure were merely discovered during vegetation clearance — not demolished by any agency. The denial came from the Warangal District Collector's office, which issued a formal statement asserting that reports about the alleged demolition at Pahadla Ashoknagar village, Khanapur Mandal on 6 May were "false and do not reflect the factual position."

What the Joint Inspection Found

A joint inspection was conducted on 6 May by officials from the Revenue Divisional Office, Narsampet, the Archaeology Department, the Khanapur Tahsildar's office, representatives of the Telangana State Education and Welfare Infrastructure Development Corporation (TGEWIDC), and the executing agency. The team found that the 30-acre plot was "heavily covered with dense bushes and trees." During vegetation clearance and levelling work for the proposed Young India Integrated Residential School Complex, remnants of an old, dilapidated structure were noticed. The official statement explicitly stated: "No demolition or dismantling activity was carried out by the executing agency."

Land Status and Archaeological Record

Revenue records confirmed that the land in question is government land and not endowment land, and had already been allotted to the Tribal Welfare Department. Crucially, Archaeology Department officials confirmed that the structure was neither notified nor recorded as a protected monument or archaeological site. The joint inspection team further observed that the structure had remained in a dilapidated condition for a prolonged period and was not in active use at the time of discovery.

District Collector and MLA Visit the Site

Warangal District Collector Satya Sharada, along with Narsampet MLA D. Madhava Reddy, visited the site on Thursday to assess the situation on the ground. Both officials assured that the structure or monument will be restored at the same location, in consultation with historians, Stapathis, and the Archaeology Department. The statement added that necessary steps will also be initiated to formally notify the structure with the Archaeology Department — a process that would bring it under official heritage protection.

Opposition Demands and Political Fallout

The government's clarification came hours after opposition parties Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that the structure had been demolished and demanded its immediate restoration. The controversy highlights the political sensitivity around heritage sites in Telangana, a state with a historically rich temple culture dating to the Kakatiya dynasty and beyond. This is not the first time construction activity on government land in the region has triggered disputes over unrecorded heritage structures. Going forward, the commitment to restore and formally notify the site will be closely watched by heritage advocates and opposition leaders alike.