Telangana High Court vents ire on Toursim MD for seeking funds for Hill Fort Palace work

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Friday expressed ire on the Managing Director of Telangana State Travel and Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (TSTTDCL) for seeking Rs 50 crore for renovation work of the Hill Fort Palace, Naubat Pahad, Hyderabad.

The High Court Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice CV Bhaskar Reddy heard the plea filed by the Hyderabad Heritage Trust, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad represented by its founder and managing trustee Deepak Kant Gir.

The petitioner alleged that the action of the State government and its authorities is neither taking up nor permitting to take up the revival of notified heritage monument Hill Fort Palace.

Further, despite the representations given to the State government authorities for the conservation of the Hill Fort Palace, they termed it as illegal and unconstitutional.

Additionally, the petitioner urged the State government to either to take up conservation and maintenance of the Palace immediately or permit the petitioners to take up the same.

The Chief Justice Court directed the Director, National Academy of Construction, Hyderabad to file an updated report on the work taken up by it in restoration, conservation and renovation of the Hill Fort at Naubat Pahad, Hyderabad.

The Chief Secretary, in his affidavit informed the Court that he had roped in the National Academy of Construction; an expert in the restoration and conservation of buildings and asked it to prepare a plan for the same.

Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad informed the court that the National Academy of Construction and Heritage and Construction Experts has inspected the heritage structure and will give the report soon. Further, the AG requested the court to give a short date of hearing for submitting the report. CJ bench questioned that on what basis the MD of TSTDCL addressed a letter to the State government on May 30, seeking sanction of Rs 50 crore, that too, prior to commencement of any single work pertaining to the Hill Fort. The amount could have siphoned off till now.

Advocate General BS Prasad while apologising for such an action of the MD informed the Court that from now onwards the CS will be monitoring the work of conservation and renovation of Hill Fort and things will move at a faster pace.