31 January,2011 07:43 AM IST | | Astha Saxena
Civic agency responsible for keeping city clean fails to maintain its own office
It has spent crores of rupees on building and setting up the new civic centre. But in the process, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) seems to have forgotten its old Raj-era Town Hall.
Past continuous: The MCD was planning to convert the Town Hall into
a heritage hotel. File pic
The civic agency was reportedly planning to convert the Town Hall, in the Walled City's Chandni Chowk, into a heritage hotel. But given the condition of the heritage structure, it looks like a distant possibility.
Most of the departments, except the deliberative wing, have already shifted to the new civic centre. So currently there is no one to look after the heritage site. The building is dirty and stinking now.
"If you come to the Town Hall, the spider webs all over the walls are bound to catch your attention. All the departments have shifted to the new civic centre, but why are they are ignoring this building? If they are planning to convert it into a heritage hotel, then it's really shameful," said an official on condition of anonymity.
The civic agency has not yet finalised the plan of converting the Town Hall into a heritage hotel. The civic agency officials feel that the Corporation is taking things very lightly and the plan should have been finalised by now.
"The Corporation is now only focusing on the new civic centre. They have not deployed anyone to look after the Town Hall which is in bad shape and they are not doing anything to improve its condition," said another senior official on condition of anonymity.
Even senior officials are not sure about the decision and are waiting for the final nod. "We have not finalised anything about the Town Hall. Though chances are it might be converted into a heritage hotel, nothing is confirmed yet," said Yogendra Chandolia, Chairman, Standing Committee.
| Future plans |
| According to MCD officials, the old Raj-era Town Hall will be converted into a five-star heritage hotel as soon as the MCD babus leave the Town Hall and move to the tallest building of the city.Though nothing is finalised, sources say the chances of Town Hall becoming a heritage hotel is high. According to officials, the other options include a commercial complex, community centre, government office and some shops. "There are other options like (turning it into) a community centre and commercial complex. But senior officials are keen on turning it into a heritage hotel," said a senior MCD official on condition of anonymity.But the committee formed by the commissioner has still not come out with the report giving the final nod for the heritage hotel."The report has not come out. But the Town Hall is most likely to turn into a heritage hotel," said KS Mehra, Commissioner, MCD. |
