PRESERVING THE PAST WITH EYE ON THE FUTURE 

Outstation students at Patna College can expect better facilities at Minto and Jackson hostels from July because of renovation work undertaken on the premises.

The Bihar State Educational Infrastructure Development Corporation has started renovation work of Patna University "heritage buildings", including Minto and Jackson hostels. The students can expect to get renovated rooms from the next academic session beginning July 2016.

A thorough repair and renovation of all the "heritage" buildings have been planned under the close supervision of expert architects so that the original design of the buildings are not disturbed. Minto hostel was set up in 1907 while Jackson opened doors in 1908.

Jackson hostel was named after then Patna College principal VH Jackson while Minto hostel was named after then viceroy Lord Minto. Both buildings are now in bad shape because of maintenance negligence. Poor upkeep of the hostels has led to the roof and walls being in dilapidated condition. Builders and architects carrying out the renovation are taking extra care to protect the period look of the buildings.

Sources said the government announced the decision to renovate the facilities in 2013 but the project gained momentum only this October after the Patna High Court intervened in September.

Chandan Kumar, the supervisor of the Minto hostel renovation work, said: "As the building has heritage status, we are taking extra care during the renovation. For brick use, we have ordered red bricks from kilns in Vaishali and Muzaffarpur because they are more durable. Generally, the bricks used to construct residential houses are 50 years old but the red bricks are heated for a longer period and at high temperatures to lend more strength and achieve the desired texture."

For repair of the wooden railings on the first floor of both hostels, a Lucknow-based timber company has been asked to prepare the railing so that the original design is maintained. Limestone will be used with minimal cement.

Work at Jackson is proceeding in the same pattern.

The government has sanctioned Rs 1.6 crore for the hostels' renovation. A couple of years ago, the government had launched a special drive to protect the old buildings of Patna University and sanctioned Rs 3.6 crore for renovation of the heritage buildings.

Patna College hostel warden Randhir Kumar Singh said: "While the renovation work of Iqbal and New hostels were completed a year ago, that of Minto and Jackson will be completed by May-end so that students can shift to the new rooms before the 2016 academic session."

The students are relieved too.

Anupam Sharma, a student of Patna College, said: "We are excited about the speed of the renovation work because we can now get hostel rooms at Minto and Jackson from the next academic session. Staying in private lodges is not only expensive for us but also unsafe."

Rooms have not been allocated at the two hostels for two years now because the buildings have been declared unfit to live in. Sources said in the absence of allocation of rooms to boarders and the slow pace of the renovation, the premises have become dens of criminals .