View of BIT, Mesra, which signed a memorandum with Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage to renovate Sir Ali Imam Mausoleum. A Telegraph file photo

Ranchi, Dec. 15: Sir Ali Imam Mausoleum, which has been neglected for years, will soon be renovated.

A memorandum has been signed between the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) and Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Mesra, to develop the place into an art and culture centre.

The plan includes conserving the place with the construction of an auditorium, a museum and a library, said Sridev Singh, state convener of Intach.

Sing added that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has offered its cooperation for the project, which will be developed on a 14-acre land in front of the Kokar-based mausoleum.

BIT will prepare the designs for renovating the mausoleum built in 1932. Sir Ali Imam, a judge at Patna High Court in 1917, was a law member of the British Imperial Council and was given the knighthood title by the British government. Sir Ali Imam, who died in 1932, also played an important part in the formation of the constitution of Bihar. ?We received a call from Askari Imam, the grandson of Sir Ali Imam, from Delhi. He requested us to conserve and develop the mausoleum,? said Singh.

?According to the plan, BIT will renovate the mausoleum while the Intach will construct a three-storied building consisting of a library, museum and an auditorium. The Centre often lends funds for the construction of libraries and museum. One of the floors may be given to some banks and the money generated from it can be used for constructing an auditorium. We will also approach the state government for funds,? he said.

Singh pointed out that BIT was chosen because it consists of a strong and expert faculty, which can very well identify and work towards the preservation of the sites of cultural and historical importance in the state. ?We have our team at New Delhi. But hiring someone locally was a more feasible idea. The officials from Delhi would not be able to stay here for long. BIT has got an impressive architecture department,? he said.

The institute will be providing technical assistance and support. The faculty and students will be used in documentation of different districts, identification of the heritage sites and preparation of the designs. ?The BIT has got a ready infrastructure and expertise with a strong faculty of 13 experts,? said other Intach officials.

The officials said they had identified a list of 30 heritage sites. ?There are thousands of sites in the state. For the first phase, we have identified 30 sites for developing and renovating them. Some of them are Imam Kothi, the various temples and monuments in Deoghar district, the Haradih temples near Sonahatu (9th century) and the monuments in Rajmahal,? they added.

Regarding the funding, the Intach officials stated that negotiations would be done with the client and the state government. They added that they had done a documentation of Ranchi district.

?We have been constantly doing development work. The Intach has opened Heritage Clubs in 30 city schools,? said Singh.