High Court seeks status report of city’s monuments

The Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed the redevelopment committee for conservation, preservation and restoration the Golconda Fort, Qutub Shahi Tombs and other 27 such monuments in the city to submit the status report with details of accomplished tasks set to it.

The committee, which comprises Central and state officials and NGOs like Aga Khan Trust, was constituted with the directions of the High Court to chalk out plans to preserve, conserve and redevelop historical monuments in and around Hyderabad.

Subsequent to the directions of the court, the committee inspected monuments, conducted a joint survey of the areas and illegal encroachments and constructions.

Government counsel on Wednesday submitted that the committee had suggested comprehensive plans for redevelopment and sought some time to place them before the court. The court gave four weeks.

Senior counsel L. Ravichander submitted to the court that the entire area limit of Golkonda fort and Qutub Shahi Tombs must be considered as a single unit because both are in the prospective list for recognition of world heritage list. He also brought to the notice of the court that the NOC given to a real estate companies to construct villas in the adjacent land to the tombs was in violation of heritage structures.

However, counsel for Aditya Real Estate Company submitted that the construction site was 100 metres from the historical monuments. Responding to it, the court observed that it would not allow any demolitions in the name of permissions granted. Meanwhile, it asked the real estate company to file its contentions.