The management of Nizam College is altering its plans for the hostel building being constructed on its premises at the suggestion of Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister K.T. Rama Rao.
“We planned to construct a G+3 building for the boys’ hostel. But Mr. Rama Rao asked us to build a taller building and reduce the footprint on the ground. Accordingly, we have stopped the work and are reworking the plan to either go for a G+6 or G+7 structure,” said B. Bhima, principal of Nizam College.
The older plan involved building 72 rooms with six students in each room, accommodating a total of 432 hostellers.
Nizam College is undergoing an upgrade with additional classrooms, more hostel rooms for boys and a conservation effort on the the old building which now houses the administrative offices and the principal’s chambers. Of the ₹18.75 crore allocated by the State government, ₹17.25 crore is meant for adding classrooms and hostel buildings, while ₹1.50 crore is earmarked for the old building’s restoration.
“The classroom complex will be constructed with two more floors along with the ground floor. Each floor will have 10 classrooms, with a total of 30 classrooms. The complex will accommodate a total of 1,800 students with a capacity of 60 students per classroom,” the principal said.
Nizam College is witnessing a surge in admissions after the introduction of the Degree Online Services Telangana (DOST) with a large number of students from the districts opting for the institution. This has led to a situation where students are looking for lodging and boarding facilities within the college.
The change in plan to reduce the footprint of the hostel building could not have come sooner. The Nizam College Ground has been a training ground for many sportsmen including badminton coach Syed Mohammed Arif, cricketers M.L. Jaisimha and Mohammed Azharuddin, and tennis legend S.P. Mishra. The college ground had also been a venue for important political meetings due to its large capacity and central location. Some of the key meetings organised here include the ones addressed by Gaddar after he came out of hiding, by L.K. Advani during his Rath Yatra, and a massive meeting on June 2, 2013 seeking the formation of a separate Telangana State.
The sprawling ground, the administrative block and principal’s chambers date back to when the building used to belong to the family of Fakhrul Mulk who built Irrum Manzil. Once the restoration project is complete, Nizam College will be a blend of the old and the new as it introduces courses like retail management and digital marketing.
