Errum Manzil heirs move HC for compensation; seek stay on

Legal heirs of Nawab Fakhr-ul-Mulk, who built the heritage monument 'Errum Manzil' in 1870, have moved the Telangana High Court seeking compensation from the state government as they alleged that about 11.5 acres was encroached upon by successive governments since 1969.

The petitioners also prayed for a direction from the court to stay the demolition of the 150-year-old building by the government for construction of a new legislature complex.

Nawab Shafath Ali Khan, secretary, Nawab Fakhrul Mulk Bahadur Legal Heirs Association, said the petition was filed on Monday in the High Court, which is the custodian of the disputed land.

An advocate commissioner appointed by the court had submitted a report to it in 1969, confirming that over 10 acres were encroached, he said.

Erram Manzil, together with the open land surrounding it, measuring over 36 acres was sold to the government on June 25, 1951.

Of the remaining land of just over 61 acres, the then Andhra Pradesh government acquired 19 acres in 1956 for construction of Andhra junior staff quarters, Khan said.

He said the palatial building was a listed heritage monument under the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority Zoning Regulation, 1981 and was "deliberately" not included in the inventory of the Telangana Heritage (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Maintenance) Act, 2017.

The petitioners also sought a direction to the government to conduct a detailed survey by an expert committee of all lands pertaining to Errum Manzil to ascertain the lands for which compensation is yet to be paid.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao laid the foundation stone for the new legislature complex at Errum Manzil on June 27.