HYDERABAD: The historical Hill Fort Palace on Naubat Pahad in the city, which has been lying in neglect following an arbitration for last two decades, will be a venue for Telangana ku Haritha Haaram today. The last time the premises was opened for the public was two years ago, when the Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC), along with Shristhi Art Gallery, held an art exhibition on its premises for three days.
The Palace, built in 1915 by Nizamat Jung, chief justice at the Nizam’s dominion, has been shut for a long time after it came into the possession of the Tourism Development Corporation in 1997. While the Corporation has plans to convert the building into a tourist destination, nothing has been done so far. Officials at the Corporation stated that the property caught in arbitration is still pending before courts. According to Pervaram Ramulu, chairman (TSTDC), the Corporation’s demand of `25 crore for the damages done by one Progressive Construction is still awaited.
“If we invest Rs 100 crore into transforming it, we should be able to churn out at least 80 per cent of the investment for its maintenance. We are unsure if it would be lucrative enough. It is pending as the judge is unavailable and we cannot decide on a time period for the verdict. On the other hand, we need at least Rs 100 crore to restore the Palace to its past glory,” said the chairman. While the initial plan was to convert it into a heritage hotel, Ramulu said that the Corporation might reconsider this and look into it once the budget is in place and after it, the arbitration process is completed.