Kolkata Police awarded for restoring 18th century building

The Kolkata police, which restored an 18th century building here that serves as its wireless branch headquarters, has been chosen for a heritage conservation award, a statement said.

The annual Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) award for Excellence in Heritage Conservation was instituted in 2013 for giving recognition and encouragement to heritage building owners who maintain their heritage assets well.

This year the honour goes to Kolkata Police for the building 'Limelight' located at 112 Ripon Street in central Kolkata, said a statement by INTACH. The award ceremony will be held at the building Wednesday.

According to civic records, in 1874, the building's resident was the Calcutta high court pleader R.E. Twidale.

It was to sold Maharaja Kshitish Chandra Roy of Nadia in 1891. After further change of inhabitants, it was subsequently acquired by the police in 1947 and became the headquarters of the wireless branch in 1973.

"By 2004, the building had become dilapidated and there was a proposal to demolish it and construct a new multi-storied building in its place," said the release.

Fortunately, a decision was taken to restore it and under the direction of Soumen Mitra, the then joint commissioner, it was transformed into a swank structure.

"A new building was constructed by civic authorities on the eastern flank of the present house and in 2013 the Kolkata Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. thoroughly restored this landmark edifice, redesigned the landscape of the premises and saved it from disappearing into oblivion," it said.

The street, where the historic structure stands was known as 'Mendhee-bagaan-ka-rusta' in the late 18th century, as South Collinga Street in the early 19th century and in 1884 it assumed the name of Ripon Street after the then Viceroy of India, Marquis of Ripon.

In 1977 it was christened Muzaffar Ahmed Sarani by KMC.