Practicality scores over heritage

Statesman News Service

Malda, Jan. 16: Despite protest from local intellectual groups, the Malda chief medical officer of health has finally decided to demolish the old hospital building.The Save Heritage group has lodged a complaint with the state heritage commission and has urged the local population to come out and support the movement to save the building which was constructed before 1822.In their letter to the commission, the group has demanded a grant from the commission for the maintenance of the old hospital building, andopposed the planned move of the district health authorities. The district health authority had planned to demolish the building for the construction of a new three-storey building for the district health directorate.The government has already sanctioned Rs. 1.89 crore for the construction of the proposed building.The Malda CMOH Dr Radha Raman Banik said: "I have consulted the district administration and have given them the green signal for demolition of the building. I will issue demolition order soon to begin construction of the new building.""I have heard verbally that the heritage commission will object the demolition drive, but I do not have official information," Dr Banik added.On the other hand, the local Heritage Buildings Save Committee members like Mr Kamal Basak, Mr Tushar Kanti Ghosh and Mr Prodyot Ghosh claimed that the building was a heritage monument dating back to the British era.Citing reference books, they claimed that a part of the building was used for treatment of prisoners. Another part of it was used as a commercial headquarter during the rule of the East India Company. The old district hospital building was connected with another building through a tunnel, which is presently used as a Circuit House by the district administration.There were several graveyards of British officials and others on the cemetery road where the Old Hospital building is located, Mr Kamal Basak claimed. The group claimed that the state heritage commission will soon issue a letter to the district administration to stop the demolition work.After independence the building was extensively used as the district hospital. But after completion of another district hospital building a few decades ago, the entire establishment had been shifted gradually and the building was used for the office of the CMOH only. A few years back the CMOH office was also shifted to the new building at the present district hospital premises after the old hospital building had partially collapsed.