Revanth Inaugurates Restored Nizam-Era Assembly Hall

Revanth Reddy described the refurbished old Assembly building as the symbol of Telangana’s pride and heritage, which was renovated with state-of-the-art features.

The Council has been operating from a building in the Public Gardens — adjacent to the Legislative Complex premises — after the Telangana state was formed in 2014. With this inauguration, both the Assembly and the Council will function from the same premises from the coming Budget session.

The heritage structure — an iconic white building built in the Indo-Saracenic style — has been refurbished following an 18-month restoration effort undertaken by the state government in collaboration with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC). The restored interiors sport heritage preservation and modern amenities.

The renovated complex includes dedicated chambers for the Chief Minister, the Legislative Council chairman and vice-chairman, offices for secretariat staff and a modern media hall.

After unveiling the stone plaque in the presence of Council chairman Gutha Sukhender Reddy, Assembly speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, ministers, MLAs and MLCs, the Chief Minister took part in a puja organised by legislative affairs minister D Sridhar Babu. Deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, ministers Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Sridhar Babu, Ponnam Prabhakar and others participated in the ceremony.

The restored building was built between 1905 and 1913. Its construction began in 1905 to mark the 40th birthday of Sixth Nizam Mir Mahboob Ali Khan and was completed in 1913 during the reign of Seventh Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan. It was formerly called the Mahboobia Town Hall.

The building was used as the Town Hall from 1913 to 1950. It hosted the Hyderabad State Assembly from 1950 to 1956, and the undivided Andhra Pradesh Assembly from 1956 to 1985.

The AP Assembly shifted to a new and large building in 1985, leaving the old building to disuse. The old building was used again as the Assembly of the divided AP after the bifurcation of the state from 2014 to 2017. Subsequently, the heritage structure remained vacant and gradually slipped into a dilapidated condition.

The Legislature of both Hyderabad State and undivided Andhra Pradesh was bicameral, having both the Assembly and the Council. However, the Legislative Council was abolished on June 1, 1985, by the Rajiv Gandhi government at the Centre on the recommendations of the Assembly under the N.T. Rama Rao government.

The Legislative Council was revived again on March 30, 2007, under the leadership of the then chief minister Y.S. Rajashekhar Reddy. After the revival, the AP Council operated from Jubilee Hall in the Public Gardens. After the bifurcation of the state, the Council of divided AP continued to be housed in Jubilee Hall.

Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) CEO Ratish Nanda said that conservation works were completed using traditional material and building craft techniques by master craftsmen required extensive repairs to the jack arch vaulted roof, removing some of the inappropriate building additions, major structural repairs, and reconstruction of missing architectural elements, all done in a record 18 months.

“We at AKTC are delighted to complete the conservation of the 1905 Assembly building in Hyderabad. This 60,000 sqft building had been abandoned a few decades ago and will henceforth once again serve as the state assembly,” said Ratish Nanda.