HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has taken over the sprawling Paigah Palace heritage building in Begumpet on Monday. A termination agreement of the lease was signed on Monday between US Consul General, Hyderabad, Jennifer Larson and Special Chief Secretary of Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD), Arvind Kumar, who is also the HMDA Commissioner.
‘’Today, we officially ended our lease of Paigah Palace. We’re grateful to the Gov’t of Telangana for making this amazing building available to us since 2007. Proud to share a small part of Paigah Palace’s history & we appreciate our friends in Telangana for making it possible,’’ Jennifer Larson tweeted.
‘’The Paigah Palace, @ Chiran Fort Lane Begumpet, being used as the office of @USAndHyderabad (US Consulate General, #Hyderabad) was formally handed over back to the State Government of Telangana’’ Arvind Kumar tweeted. The US Consulate General has informed that the new premises of US Consulate situated at Gachibowli in Hyderabad has been completed and ready for operation of their activities, and requested to complete the process of de-leasing of the Paigah Palace building.
The US Consulate has started offering its consular services from its new state-of-the-art premises at Nanakramguda since March.
The Paigah Palace spread across 4.06 acres near Chiran Fort Lane, Secunderabad, consisting of the main building (G+1), annexure-I building (G+3) and annexure -II (G+3) with a total built-up area of 6,211 square metres, was leased to the US Consulate in 2007. The heritage building had been the headquarters of Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA) from its inception in 1975 before it was handed over to the US Consulate in 2007.
The palace was built by Sir Vicar-ul-Umra, a Paigah nobleman. He built the exquisite palace in 1900 as a gift for the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad Mir Mahbub Ali Khan. ‘Paigah’ was a title which meant grandeur and a high rank.
THE PALACE WAS A GIFT TO THE 6TH NIZAM
The Paigah palace was built by Sir Vicar-ul-Umra, a Paigah nobleman. He built the exquisite palace in 1900 as a gift for the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad Mir Mahbub Ali Khan. ‘Paigah’ was a title which meant grandeur and a high rank