State evicts 17 families from Paigah Tombs site

About 17 families staying on the premises of Paigah Tombs at Ghouse Nagar were evicted from their houses and the government took possession of the land.Descendants of the 17 families, to whom the plots were sold by the nobles of the erstwhile Nizam state, have been residing at the Paigah Tombs site.

The property came under government control following court intervention.“Without notice, we were evicted from our homes in which we have been staying for the last 25 years. We bought these plots long ago and have all the papers with us. The government promised to provide us with flats, but single room units were provided at Ghouse Nagar.

These dwellings lack basic amenities,” said Mr Lateef Anees, one of the evictees.“I was allotted a dwelling six years ago. We had paid the amount to the government. We have not shifted to the dwelling as it lacks basic amenities. We locked the house. We were shocked to find the locks broken and others in there,” said, Ms Rehmati Bi.

“We have shifted the families to Ghouse Nagar Colony temporarily. Basic amenities will be provided soon. It’s not our fault that the plots were sold to them decades ago by the Paigah nobles of the Nizam state. The Paigah Tombs are under the control of state archaeology and museums department,” said, Mr Naveen Mittal, the district collector.

Meanwhile, the museums department has begun the demolition of houses in the Paigah Tombs. “We have been trying to evict these people for decades. The families will be rehabilitated after eviction and this takes time. We have already started demolition of Paigah Tombs. Once the demolition is completed, restoration will be taken up,” said Mr P. Chenna Reddy, the director of state archaeology and museums department.