FT ministry helpless in ashram issue

KUALA LUMPUR: The Vivekananda Ashram is not a heritage area and the ministry cannot do anything about it.
"If at all it is a gazetted heritage area, we will not allow any development projects to take place," Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said today.
He also advised the trustees of the 110-year-old iconic building to send an application to gazette the site as a heritage area and he was ready to help them.
The ashram in Brickfields made news after it was reported that its trustees had plans for a 23-storey service apartment building at the site of the iconic landmark.
On Sunday, some 300 people, including politicians from both sides of the divide, turned up for a protest march and signature drive to oppose the development plans.
Tengku Adnan earlier handed over donations to four families who lost their houses in a fire in Cheras.
Each family received RM1,500 from Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan and will be relocated soon to City Hall's transit houses.
Four of eight units of longhouses at Block 7, Jalan Ikan Emas, Cheras, here, were destroyed in the fire two days ago.