The legal heirs of Nawab Fakhrul Mulk, who owned the Errum Manzil Palace in Hyderabad, have written to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao against the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) President's decision to demolish the 1870 structure for the construction of a new State Assembly.
"Your good self is aware that Errum Manzil Palace was built and owned by the famous, eminent Nobel of Hyderabad, Nawab Fakhrul Mulk Bahadur, who was awarded a status of Umara-e-Uzzamin, in the hierarchy of the Nizam of Erstwhile Hyderabad state," a letter from Nawab Shafath Ali Khan, the Secretary of the Nawab Fakhrul Mulk Legal Heirs Association, stated.
"Errum Manzil is a historical monument wherein top British dignitaries including the Viceroy of India had visited the palace. It is also submitted that this beautiful structure is very much part of Hyderabad's history, culture and heritage," the letter added.
The heirs also pointed out that the palace had served as the Public Works Department office for decades and had become such a known landmark that a metro station has been named after it.
"I would like to point out a few prominent examples of the most popular modern cities like Singapore, Dubai and Kuala Lumpur, which have preserved their heritage buildings whilst having built the most modern urban architecture around their old heritage, thereby maintaining their glory of the past amidst the present," the letter said.
The letter demanded that the structure be saved from demolition, and be declared a 'heritage monument' instead.
Meanwhile, in a related development, a petition started on Change.org to 'Save Errum Manzil' garnered over 1,200 signatures in just two days.
"Errum Manzil is an architectural wonder and hidden gem in the busy and fast developing streets of Hyderabad, India. The palace boasts of over 150 rooms, with a golf course, horse stable, and polo ground, but is currently used as offices for government officials," the petition states.
The petition goes on to add, "When our family graciously surrendered the property during Independence to the newly formed Indian government, we expected it to be taken care of, to be used as a remembrance of Fakhrul Mulk and his contributions to Hyderabad."
A link to the petition can be found here.
Speaking to reporters last week, KCR had announced that the existing Assembly building will be preserved as a heritage structure and a new legislature complex comprising Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council will be built at Errum Manzil at a cost of Rs 100 crore.
In the Change.org petition, the petitioner also asks the government to use the Rs 100 crore amount for conservation instead. “We ask the state government of Telangana to redirect the Rs 100-crore (over $14,000,000 USD) designated for the building of a new office structure in its place towards conservation efforts instead.”
KCR had also said the foundation stone for the new secretariat building would be laid on June 27. The complex with 5 to 6 lakh square feet space will be built at a cost of Rs 400 crore.