The Gujarat High Court asked the union and state governments today to suggest if the Moti Shahi palace built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the city could once again be listed as a "protected monument".
A division bench of Justice Akil Kureshi and Justice J B Pardiwala asked Gujarat government and the Centre to suggest whether such an important ancient building could once again be listed as a "protected monument" so as to preserve its historical importance.
The High Court has also asked Archaelogical Survey of India (ASI) to give suggestions with regard to the issue of re-listing the Moti Shahi palace as a "protected heritage monument".
The bench acted in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking to prevent any construction activity by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and the Sardar Patel Memorial Trust which have been housed in the 391-year-old Mughal monument.
"It is unfortunate that such a historical monument has been de-listed from the list of protected monuments and authorities have granted permission for new construction," the High Court observed during the hearing.
The Moti Shahi palace was built in the year 1621 and was notified as a "protected ancient monument" by the colonial British government in 1904, the PIL said.
However, after the formation of Gujarat state in 1960, the palace was de-listed from the list of protected monuments the same year and it was used as Raj Bhavan to house the Governor's office, the PIL said.
"The palace was transferred to the Sardar Patel Smarak Trust (a museum dedicated to the country's first deputy prime minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel) in 1979 under the condition that the structure of the building shall not be altered without prior permission of the authorities," the PIL said.
