End to squatters at Paigah Tombs

Hyderabad: Encroachment on the six-acre Shams—ul—Umrah Paigah tombs at Santoshnagar, Hyderabad will be removed with the Centre sanctioning Rs 4 crore to restore the heritage site. In reply to an RTI query, the state government said the heritage structure has to be restored to its past glory. There are homes located close to the tombs now. Mr Mohammed Moizuddin Khan, a descendant of the Paigah family, said, “I have been fighting for long time to get these encroachments removed. The archaeology and museums department has recognised that there is an encroachment. They want the Hyderabad collector and the GHMC to take action.”

The tombs of Asman Jahi Paigah and Sir Vicar—Ul—Umrah Paigah are intact and in the custody of the archaeology department. The tomb of Sir Khurshid Jahi Paigah was not taken care by the department as there was confusion within the department about the lineage. Mr Moiz Khan said, “It took a lot of time for the department to understand that these tombs are part of the family heritage. They verified old papers and came to this conclusion. The tomb is in a dilapidated condition and needs to be protected. ”