Victoria Memorial: Awaiting court order

The Victoria Memorial Hall authorities have moved the high court for permission to raise an annexe on the premises to host art shows and cultural events.

In an affidavit before the division bench of Justice B. Bhattacharya and Justice K.K. Prasad on Friday, Memorial curator Chitta Ranjan Panda attributed the plan to a recommendation by an expert committee set up by the court in 2004.

Environmentalists, however, have opposed the idea, claiming the annexe will result in visual pollution. “The structure will do more harm than good,” said green activist Subhas Dutta.

“The 14-member expert committee had opined that Victoria Memorial lacks modern facilities for holding exhibitions, cultural congregations and meetings. The committee had suggested that a separate facility must be explored without disturbing the greenery around the hall,” the affidavit stated, claiming the building would not affect the environment around the monument.

The proposed annexe will come up at the site where “dilapidated quarters, a dormitory canteen and other low-grade service centres” stand. The matter will come up for hearing again on June 15.

A few months back, the London-based Calcutta Tercentenary Trust had sent a proposal to the Memorial to build a Rs 40-crore annexe for hosting exhibitions and other programmes. The HRD ministry had approved the proposal.

The court also asked the Memorial authorities to file reports on lifting of ground water on the premises and pollution.