1300 structures in Kolkata identified as heritage

Kolkata, Mar 29 (UNI) As many as 1300 odd buildings and structures of the pre-independence period in this eastern metropolis have been identifed as heritage buildings and structures and the state government has decided to restore their status as before.

This was announced here today by Kolkata Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya while inaugurating a seminar on "Urban Regeneration Project and the U.K.Experience," organised under the aegis of the British Deputy High Commission in the city.

Stating that the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC),under his leadership had taken up an elaborate programme to renovate and restore the past glory of all the heritage structures in the city within the next few years, Mr Bhattacharya said under a time bound programme KMC had restored the century old Star and Minerva theatres in the city and renovated the birth places of Swami Vivekanada and Pandit Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar among others.

''We are now fully engaged in developing the Dalhousie area in downtown Kolkata and left no stone unturned to restore its past glory in terms of restoring architectural values of all its surrounding government buildings including the General Post Office (GPO) and the RBI buildings,'' he said.

Earlier speaking on the occasion, British Deputy High Commissioner Simon Wilson, Chairman of the English Heritage Phillip Davies and Chief of London River Commission George Nicholson elaborated their viewpoints about the restoration of heritage buildings in the ''City of Joy'' and promised all assistance- both financially and technologically to complete the pending work on time and give a ''proper face'' to the city.

UNI