Read Special: Government’s U-turn on Sultan Palace: ‘Historical heritage will not be destroyed’

The NDA government has given a big clarification amid the controversy over the five-star hotel project. The Bihar government has given a big signal amid the ongoing controversy over the historic Sultan Palace in Patna. The new Tourism Minister of the state, Kedar Prasad Gupta has clearly said that the historical and heritage buildings of the state will not be demolished, but they will be beautified. Speaking to the media at his office in Patna, the minister said that wherever there are old buildings and historical structures in Bihar, the government will develop them for tourism so that people can know the cultural heritage of the state closely.

Minister’s statement that Sultan Palace will not be demolished brings speculations to an end

In recent days, some media reports were claiming that this 104-year-old building could be demolished for the proposed five-star hotel project in the Sultan Palace complex. After these news, there was a lot of anger among historians, conservation architects and heritage lovers. Now after the statement of the Tourism Minister, this controversy has come to an end to a great extent. The minister said that wherever there are such old historical buildings in Bihar, they will be beautified.

However, he did not give much information on the detailed outline of the project.

Historians and civil organizations had raised their voice

There was a demand to save the Sultan Palace for a long time. Many historians and cultural organizations had appealed to the government that instead of demolishing this historical building, it should be made a part of the heritage hotel project. Experts said that in many states of the country, old buildings have been preserved and developed as tourist centers and the same model should be adopted in Bihar.

Government backed down from 2022 decision

It is noteworthy that on September 10, 2024, the Bihar Cabinet had approved the proposal to build a five-star heritage hotel in the Sultan Palace complex under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. In this decision, it was made clear that the century-old historical structure will be protected. Along with this, the government had also reversed the old decision taken in 2022, in which the matter of removing the building had come to the fore.

Sultan Palace was built in 1922

Located in the heart of the capital Patna, this historic building was built in the year 1922 by the famous lawyer Sir Sultan Ahmed as his residence. Due to its unique architecture and historical importance, this building is considered the identity of the capital. Concern about its future had increased after reports came just before the World Heritage Day. Now the first official response from the government has given some relief to the heritage lovers.

The challenge of balancing tourism and heritage conservation

Now the biggest question is how the government strikes a balance between tourism development and heritage conservation. If the heritage hotel project is developed while preserving the Sultan Palace, it can prove to be a major achievement on the tourism map of Bihar.