HYDERABAD: Referring to the Hill Fort Palace, a bench of the Telangana High Court on Thursday made it clear that if a structure is deemed hazardous by an expert committee led by the director general of the National Academy of Construction, then new construction may be permitted.
“When there is no other choice, the State must make a decision regarding the Hill Fort Palace, based on the report released on April 12, 2023, which delineates significant points on the necessity to conserve the State’s heritage,” the bench said.
The bench also directed the State government to put its decision before the court by the next date of hearing. The bench, comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N Tukaramji, was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the Hyderabad Heritage Trust, which sought an order to the State government to undertake restoration and conservation of the heritage monument. The petitioner told the court that the State government, in the name of restoration of the Hill Fort Palace, was causing it to deteriorate further.
During the previous hearing, the bench had directed the State government to provide the latest report on the Hill Fort Palace. Following which an expert committee submitted a report claiming that the palace was deteriorating; its roof was leaking at many places and the basement was also in a poor condition. It also added that the structure could not withstand an earthquake. Ritz Hotels also affected the original building, according to the committee. The state must rebuild the whole structure, said the report.
After reviewing the report, the court stated unequivocally that it can be said that the Hill Fort Palace was unsafe and the state must make a decision keeping in mind the need to protect the state’s valuable heritage as per GO 542, dated May 14, 1995.