Hyderabad: Hyderabad Heritage Trust filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in Telangana High Court for the preservation of Hill Fort Palace. The petitioner claimed that the State government is not taking any step for the revival of the palatial building.
After hearing the petition, the bench of Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy directed the State government to file a counter-affidavit. It also asked the petitioner to remove the Union of India and the Archaeological Survey of India as respondents as the palace is not a centrally protected monument, The Hindu reported.
State Government responsible to preserve monument: HC
The bench also said that the responsibility of preserving the historical monument lies with the State government.
Meanwhile, Special Government Pleader Sanjeev Kumar said that the government always wants to protect and preserve important monuments.
The next hearing of the case is scheduled to be held in the month of June.
History of Hill Fort Palace
Hill Fort Palace, located at Naubhat Pahad, was the residence of Sir Nizamat Jung Bahadur, the Chief Justice for the Princely State of Hyderabad. It was built in 1915.
In 1929, the last Nizam of Hyderabad Mir Osman Ali Khan bought it for his son Moazzam Jah.
After Hyderabad became part of the Indian Union, the palace was given on lease. It was converted into a hotel.
In 1997, the monument was returned to the government as the lease expired. Since then it is under State Tourism Development Corporation.
