The historic Netaji Bhavan used to be the most significant landmark on Elgin Road. That iconic building is now almost difficult to spot from the road because of a clutter of banners and hoardings.
The mayor of Calcutta expressed anguish on Friday on how banners had eclipsed the building. But it came after Sugata Bose, grandnephew of Subhas Chandra Bose and a Harvard professor, wrote to the mayor about the clutter right outside the building.
Firhad Hakim was surprised that even the house of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had not been spared.
He promised to remove them and said the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will henceforth issue notices to the agencies or the companies that put up hoardings outside heritage buildings.
“What is the use of illuminating buildings if the facade is blocked?” he asked. Hakim was referring to the Kolkata Restorers, a citizens’ initiative that has illuminated several heritage and other grand buildings in the city.
“Netaji Bhavan has been eclipsed by hoardings. We are removing these hoardings. We will issue notices to companies or groups whose hoardings are found hindering the view of heritage structures,” Hakim said.
Hakim said he spotted the hoardings while travelling along Elgin Road.
Earlier Sugata Bose, a former Trinamool MP, had written to him on this.
“I know that Sugata Bose wrote to the mayor and the police commissioner of Calcutta...It may have spurred the action,” said Sumantra Bose, the director of Netaji Research Bureau that runs from Netaji Bhavan.
KMC sources said the recently notified advertisement policy restricts the use of banners within 25 metres of any heritage building.
Netaji Bhavan is listed as a Grade I heritage structure in KMC’s Graded List of Heritage Buildings.