Hyderabad: High Court Stays Demolition of Secretariat, Errum Manzil Palace

Source: thewire.in

New Delhi: In yet another blow to chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s plans to build new secretariat and assembly complexes, the Telangana high court on Monday ordered the state government not to demolish the existing secretariat complex and the historic Errum Manzil Palace.

The high court was hearing a batch of petitions opposing the state government’s plans, it asked the government not to take any further action till further orders are issued.

On June 27, Rao laid the foundation stone for the new buildings. The state government plans to demolish the existing secretariat complex near Hussain Sagar to build a new one, while the heritage Errum Manzil building would be demolished for a new assembly building. Assembly sessions currently take place in a palace built by the Nizams, erstwhile rulers of the Hyderabad state.

The former is expected to cost the exchequer Rs 400 crore, while a new assembly building would be built at an expense of Rs 100 crore.

In response to the petitions, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS)government sought 15 days time to file a counter affidavit. After the court ordered it not to take demolish any building until further directions are issued, the government is likely to file a counter later on Monday, The News Minutereported.

Major opposition parties such as the BJP and the Congress have united to oppose the government’s plans, while several non-political groups have also opposed the move. They have branded the plans as a “waste of public money”.

Also opposing the government’s plan are the descendants of Nawab Fakrul Mulk – a noblemen of the Hyderabad state – who built the Errum Manzil about 150 years ago. Mulk was a minister in the sixth Nizam’s court and is also credited with constructing other heritage monuments in the city such as the Nizam College and Chest Hospital. Incidentally, the latter was also eyed by the Rao government as a possible destination for a new secretariat complex.

On Sunday, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), a non-profit charitable organisation, suggested that the Errum Manzil should not be demolished. It said the building was structurally sound and urged the government to repair and conserve it instead of tearing it down.

Rao’s previous attempts

Since the new state was formed in 2014, Rao, as chief minister, has been on an endeavour to construct new secretariat and assembly complexes.

Initially, Rao planned to construct a new secretariat at the 65-acre Government Chest Hospital in Erragadda. This heritage building, more than 100 years old, was also built during the Nizam’s era. As activists opposed its demolition, Rao started looking for alternatives.

The state government’s eyes then fell on the Bison Polo grounds in Secunderabad. The land is partly controlled by the defence ministry, and KCR met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the home and defence ministers in December 2018 to get their nod to transfer the land. Locals have also opposed this move, suggesting that the green cover provided by the vast grounds provide lung space to residents. This plan also looks to have been shelved, with the CM laying the foundation stone at the existing secretariat complex.

KCR’s drive to shift the secretariat complex is apparently because the existing one is “not vaastucompliant”. The new complex will right this, the CM has stated. His “vaastu advisor” has provided inputs on the construction of the new complex. He even avoided visiting the building for over two years because it had “vaastu dosham” (danger).