A gleaming white beacon-fitted Ambassador - once the symbol of status and respect earned after years of hard labour, dream of many and envy of some - welcomes you at Hazaribagh district collectorate, the main gate of which was thrown open on Friday.
Though official work was being carried out from the district collectorate, the main entrance was locked for the beautification of the 182-year-old campus after it received an ISO 9001:2009 tag in January for providing quality service.
Deputy commissioner (DC) Mukesh Kumar said the tag from International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), an independent body, motivated him to make the campus as per its standards.
Starting with the main entrance, which has been renovated and given an attractive look with traditional paintings, the beautification work will be done all over the campus. The DC said the entrance would also be decorated with colourful flags, for which five points have been earmarked.
According to the DC, it will be no less than a selfie point. "We have placed the 40-year-old ambassador, once the official car of deputy commissioners, on an elevated platform in its park. I found the car, which was not in use for the last 20 years, dumped in my garage in a poor condition. It suddenly struck to me that I can use this car for decorating the park. We then fitted tyres, gave it a fresh coat of paint and fixed a yellow beacon atop to place it in the park. It has its own importance and aura. We will also build a shed to protect it from different weather conditions. Beside it, three statues, representing an officer, a staff and a common man, have been installed to complete the administrative circle," he said, adding a fountain would also be fitted.
He further said work was going on in full stream. "We will also display the history of the collectorate in the park. The final beautification work will get over soon with sohari paintings on the inner walls of the boundary. I have also planned to put low cost 25 designer benches on the campus," said the DC.
The campus will not only boast its heritage amidst greenery and manicured flower beds but you can also get a cup of coffee for a subsidised rate of Rs 10.
Kumar said Café Coffee Day (CCD) will put up a kiosk on the campus for which it had already provided its Rs 1 lakh machine for only Rs 25,000.
He had roped in different banks and the Hazaribagh Municipal Corporation for funding the projects besides the regular sanction from the state government.
Kumar said they had received Rs 35 lakh from the state government to beautify the collectorate and the circuit house. "My plan is to spend around Rs 15 lakh from the fund on collectorate. On my efforts, Bank of India has agreed to fund lights in the park while State Bank of India has released money for construction of new toilets. We are in talks with some other banks as well," he added.
