Telangana govt unsure of it own heritage structures?

HYDERABAD: Is the Telagnana government tying itself into knots, over the issue of preservation of heritage structures in the city?
The government wants to preserve the heritage character of Sultan Bazar and also wants to stop the defacing of the Legislative Assembly area. For such reasons, it is seeking a realignment of the metro rail line. However, the government wants to raze the TB & Chest Hospital at Erragadda, which was almost declared a heritage building.
In response to a petition against the decision to construct the new secretariat complex at Erragadda, replacing the hospital, the government informed the Hyderabad high court that the chest hospital is not a notified heritage structure. The high court, on Monday, directed the archaeology department to report to whether the chest hospital is a heritage structure or not, before any furthering hearing of the case.
It may be recalled that the state government is planning to construct a secretariat building and quarters for All India Service Officers (AIS) on the 70 acre premises of the TB & Chest Hospital. The government has earmarked Rs 100 crore for the construction of the secretariat in the current year’s budget.
However, former members of Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC) say that the Chest hospital building has heritage characters, and that the committee had even sent a proposal to the state government to declare the building and also the entire premises as a heritage property.
Official sources said the 80th HCC meeting held on November 5, 2007, discussed the issue of declaration of additional heritage buildings. They listed Chest Hospital at Erragadda, Nanu Bhai G Shah’s building at Sultan Bazar, Bramha Mandir at Kattela Mandi, water works building at Malakunta, Hanger Huda Nursery at Erragadda, Niaz Khana behind Fakrumulk Tomb at SR Nagar main road and Raja Bhagwan Das building at Sultan Bazar. In the subsequent meeting, the members decided to write to the hospital authorities to engage expert architects for taking up conservation works. The other important decision was not only to include the Chest Hospital building but also to declare the entire precinct as an heritage area.
The Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (erstwhile Huda), on behalf of the HCC, wrote a letter on this issue to Government General and Chest hospital superintendent (Lr. No.15637/Planning/HCC/H/07) in January, 2008. Finally, it was suggested that Huda should include the Chest hospital property in the Heritage buildings list. But the issue was stuck and the government never issued a formal government order.
“A committee of the HCC inspected the building in 2007 and confirmed that the building would qualify to be become a heritage structure. Now, how can the government ignore it and decide to raze it for the secretariat?” said, a former member of HCC.
Former HCC members say the conservation committee had raised the issue of bulldozing heritage structures at Sultan Bazar. It had also objected the metro rail alignment in front of assembly building several years ago. Even the HCC discussed the issue in several meetings and wrote letters to the then chief secretary and principal secretary of MA&UD department demanding the metro rail go underground at places like Moazzam Jahi Market, Rasoolpura junction and Assembly, as the elevated metro line might deface the whole area and visibility of the structures. The TRS government based its decision to realign the corridor after it came to power 10 months ago, on these recommendations.
Meanwhile, there has been no Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC) for the past two years after the previous committee’s head, former IAS officer R Rajamani’s, tenure lapsed in March, 2013.
Generally, the HCC is chaired by a retired chief secretary or a retired special chief secretary with five to six members of eminent standing, which generally includes architects and historians. It plays a vital role in conserving and protecting heritage structures and rock precincts in the city. The committee gives a 'No Objection Certificates' (NOCs) for demolition and repair of listed heritage buildings and can also take up cases suo motu for protection of buildings, which are not listed as heritage structures. However, the state government can override HCC decisions.
“The HMDA sent the proposal for formation of a new committee last year, and it is pending with the state government. The previous government kept the committee in cold storage as it might create problems for acquiring heritage and old properties for metro rail,” a senior official of HMDA said.