Ambedkar bungalow purchase: Maha ministers leave for London

Maharashtra Social Justice minister Rajkumar Badole today left for London to complete formalities to purchase the 2,050 square feet bungalow where Dr B R Ambedkar once resided as a student at London School of Economics.
An official from the Social Justice Department said that besides Badole, Minister Of State for Social Justice Dilip Kamble and Principal Secretary Ujjwal Uke have also left for the country.
"Rajkumar Badole will meet Indian High Commissioner in London along with the Director of the London School of Economics as well as the solicitor who has been appointed to purchase the historic bungalow.
"All technicalities will be completed there within a week's time and a formal buyback date will then be announced by the department," the official said.

He added that the delegation will be back on April 29.
A day before leaving for London, Badole had told PTI that Dr Ambedkar had stayed in London during 1920-1921 in the bungalow when he was a student at the London School of Economics.

The Maharashtra government has taken the responsibility to build an international memorial at the historic London bungalow.
"We will try all possible means to push the British government to complete all technicalities before we return and announce the final buyback date," Badole had said.
The bungalow located at 10, King Henry's Road, NW3, London was up for sale a few months ago and is expected to cost around Rs 40 crore.

The Maharashtra state government has already sanctioned Rs 5 crore for the appointment of a solicitor and a surveyor.
Badole had said that the delegation would solicit help of leaders and organisations of the local Buddhist community in London and the Indian High Commission would be involved in the process.