HYDERABAD: Some old structures, like private houses and guest houses, may soon lose their heritage tag. An expert committee is currently looking into various aspects of heritage, and once it submits its report, the State government would remove the heritage tag from some of these structures, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced in the State Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
When BJP member Raja Singh highlighted the plight of the Osmania General Hospital in the House during a debate on the Bill intended to increase the retirement age of medical professors, Rao said: “The heritage has become a big joke. Even the Dilkusha Guest House is on the heritage list. There has been a demand that a new building be constructed in place of the existing Osmania Hospital.”
“We respect our heritage and culture, but, at the same time, modern needs must also be fulfilled. There should be a limit to everything. We should not overreact. Heritage should not come in the way of fulfilling the needs of the modern times,” the chief minister added.
Rao also recalled that the State government brought an integrated and comprehensive heritage policy and it was enacted by the Assembly. Currently, some experts are on the job of identifying the heritage sites.
“Some private houses, guest houses and other structures are included on the heritage list. The government will soon remove some unimportant structures from the list,” the chief minister said.