Hyderabad: The heritage domes of the Osmania General Hospital need to be maintained and any new building coming up must not be taller than the domes, according to a suggestion given by the heritage committee during the tenure of the then CM N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.
The committee had suggested the construction of eight floors in a six-acre piece of land to reduce much pressure on the heritage building.
The draft plans of re-building OGH were prepared during his tenure but could never be implemented due to the issues raised by the heritage committee.
A senior government officer said, “The heritage committee pointed out that the height of the building must not go above the domes and that the building must be constructed only behind the heritage structure. The facade must must be retained completely. These objections proved to be costly and had a debilitating effect on the proposed project.”
The committee also said that the new building must be constructed 15 metres away from the old structure.
Administrative approval for the project came in May 2012, and Rs 200 crore was sanctioned. The undivided AP Health and Medical Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation was sanctioned the amount, but the work never began. The amount finally lapsed when the government completed its term.
A senior health secretary of the undivided government said several attempts were made to reach out to the conservationists to work out a plan where the requirements of the hospital and conserving the structure could be worked out. “There was no headway,” he said.
Three proposals were sent for laying the foundation stone at the OGH site, but it never materialised because of the continuous opposition, he said.
Nursing college students also opposed the demolition of the building and went on hunger strike.
The TRS government sanctioned Rs 100 crore for purchase of equipment and repairs to the three main buildings and hostels.
While the equipment is still to be purchased, repairs to hostels and two buildings have been carried out.
