The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) plans to restore the 165-year-old ‘Jail Khana’, which has been neglected for decades. The heritage structure was built in 1860 and served as a civil jail before being turned into a commercial complex in 1930. It was declared a heritage structure in 2006 and currently has around 60 tenants who have been making minor repairs on their own. The structure is in a dilapidated state and requires immediate repairs. The HMDA has announced that it will take up the restoration works of the heritage structure.
Historian Haseeb Ahmed had tweeted about the importance of restoring the heritage structure and tagged Arvind Kumar, Minister K T Rama Rao, HMDA, and Telangana tourism department. In response, Arvind Kumar announced the restoration on Twitter.
The Jail Khana was built with walls of 24 inches width for the safety of the prison as per the then jail norms of the British. It has small and medium scale business establishments and shops that fetch a monthly rental of Rs 2,000 to Rs 6,000.
The restoration of the heritage structure is much needed and will help preserve the history and culture of Hyderabad.
