All is set ready for the dilapidated Saifabad Palace to house the CMO after renovations. There are fears that the casualties will be more if the edifice crumples as hundreds of persons and vehicles pass near the structure in the middle of the Secretariat.
The very matter has dragged back the usage of the building over a period of time though the building has been kept idle without any offices for nearly a decade.
Previously, in 2008, it was estimated that it would require about Rs 8cr renovating the building. Now the officials have revised the renovation cost at Rs 20 crore.
KCR, the Chief Minister of Telangana, who has been giving utmost importance to Nizam-era heritage structures by holding first Independence Day celebrations in Telangana at Golconda Fort recently and aligning the Metro Rail route to protect heritage markets in Sultan Bazaar and Mozoamjahi Market, is now keen to preserve the G-Block, reportedly. The building finds its place in one of the earliest cartographic maps of Hyderabad brought out in 1914-15.
It is evident that some of the unique architectural features include its classical European style with grand semi-circular arches, imposing arched portico, Corinthian columns and high ceiling. The highly wrought staircase and a lift add to affluence of the construction.
Source: The HansIndia
