Telangana HC tells panel to inform steps to preserve Hill Fort Palace

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday directed the Greater Hyderabad Heritage and Precincts Committee to place its decision within four weeks on steps taken pertaining to Hill Fort Palace aka Ritz Hotel which has been declared as Heritage Monument.

The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar was dealing with a PIL complaining inaction of the state government in taking steps to preserve or protect the Hill Fort Palace.

Earlier, the experts committee comprising Engineers of the National Academy for Construction and Professors from NIT, Warangal and IIT-Hyde had submitted the report that the Hill Fort building is unsafe and that reviving the structure with repairs would prove hazardous.

However, the court had directed the state government to take a conscious decision in protecting the palace and to appreciate the decision.

On Tuesday, Harender Pershad, Special Counsel for the government submitted that the heritage committee has been constituted  under the chairmanship of the GHMC commissioner to discuss recommendations made by NAC Committee . He further submitted that the committee will meet on September 14 and a decision arrived at. Hence, he sought further time to inform the further steps.