The Paigah Palace in Hyderabad’s Begumpet, a notified heritage constructing that up till final yr housed the extremely secured workplace of the US Consulate Common, will now be the headquarters of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Growth Authority (HMDA), the Telangana authorities stated on Tuesday.
The HMDA, in its earlier model of Hyderabad City Growth Authority, used to operate out of this premises from 1975 to 2007 when the federal government determined at hand over the sprawling property to the workplace of the US Consulate Common.
The return of presidency places of work to the majestic Twentieth-century palace constructed by Sir Vicar-ul-Umra, a nobleman belonging to the Paigah household, additionally poses questions relating to the preservation of the heritage construction for the long run.
After the US consulate moved to its new campus within the IT Hall close to Nanakramguda, the then BRS authorities had deliberate to make use of the premises for organising a state museum.
There have been additionally plans to lease out the property to run a heritage resort earlier. Nevertheless, the Congress authorities felt that it was in the very best curiosity of the folks to maneuver all of the HMDA places of work to a central location that initially housed the organisation for over 30 years.
In accordance with a authorities order launched Tuesday, all places of work of the HMDA which might be working out of various places — the pinnacle workplace at Swarnajayanthi Advanced, Ameerpet; the places of work of Challenge Director, Outer Ring Street; Managing Director, Hyderabad Progress Hall Restricted (HGCL) and Director City Forestry at HGCL workplace in Nanakramguda and the Buddha Purnima Challenge at Tank bund — will now transfer into the Paigah Palace in Begumpet.
It will, it stated, improve the productiveness of the organisation since all its places of work and wings can be situated in a single place and in addition be handy for the general public as the placement is within the coronary heart of town and accessible by totally different modes of transport.
Preservation of heritage by way of greatest adaptive use
Heritage activists within the metropolis welcomed the transfer because the constructing will now be occupied and utilised as a substitute of mendacity in neglect. Nevertheless, they urged the authorities to fastidiously study the constructing and put together a set of pointers for its greatest adaptive use.
Heritage activist Mohammed Safiullah stated the constructing, left behind by the US authorities, is state-of-the-art and must be preserved. “It’s a good transfer however I would like they take the assistance of a world guide to design workplace areas. They will take note of the house out there and scientifically allot workplace areas for greatest use. If it’s a haphazard switch of officers on this constructing, then God save the constructing,” stated Safiullah.
Declaring that most of the notified heritage buildings have already vanished and a few are on the verge of destruction on account of neglect, Safiullah stated by taking good care of the Paigah Palace constructing, the federal government wouldn’t solely promote heritage but additionally ship out a message relating to its preservation.
Including that most of the authorities places of work that operate from the outdated Nizam-era buildings have been altered with out holding the heritage features in thoughts, Safiullah added that strict pointers must be provided that no main modifications could be made to the constructing as soon as it’s occupied.
Sajjad Shahid, co-convenor of the Hyderabad chapter of INTACH (Indian Nationwide Belief for Artwork and Cultural Heritage) too welcomed the choice that can permit folks entry to the palace. “It was a HUDA workplace when first notified. The purpose is have they got the political will to protect and shield the heritage of Hyderabad or not? All of it is dependent upon the coverage of the federal government and their intent,” Shahid added.