HYDERABAD: Amid apprehensions expressed by heritage lovers that the state is all set to demolish the 100-year-old Osmania General Hospital building at Afzalgunj to raise in its place a new building to house the hospital, the state government on Thursday informed the high court that it has set up a four-member experts team to study the structural strength of the building and take a decision whether or not to demolish this building.
The high court judges, however, said that they will not solely rely on the state-led experts’ committee, but, if necessary, may get it verified by IIT experts and Archaeological Survey officials.
A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice NTukaramji was hearing petitions filed by Osmania Medical College Alumni Association seeking demolition of buildings to pave way for a new complex on one side and a group of individuals and NGOs seeking protection and preservation of the heritage structure on the other.
Harender Pershad, the state’s special counsel, furnished a March 10 GO issued by the state government that constituted a four-member experts team to study the issue. In fact, the GO stated that the state health department has already sent a proposal to the government urging it to obtain the necessary permission to demolish the old buildings at OGH. The government has referred the matter to the committee.
Arguing the case of those who want to protect the structures, their counsel K S Murthy said that the state was supposed to protect and renovate the heritage structures. The state government has allowed the building to become dilapidated. Sama Sandeep Reddy, the counsel for the doctors association that wants a brand new building to come up in the place of old structures, said that the aim of the Nizam in building the structure was to provide a good hospital for the people.
The bench said that they would not solely rely on the state-led experts’ committee. “If necessary, we too will get the OGH buildings verified by experts. We are conscious of the fact that many ancient structures are strong than several newly constructed ones,” the bench said, while adjourning the case to April 8.
