The Town Hall in Cuttack. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, July 25: The civic body will go for renovation and restoration of the Town Hall building, one of the remnants of the pre-Independence era in the city.

According to proposals, new roof slabs will replace the existing ones for structural stability of the heritage building, which has been in a dilapidated condition for the past several years.

An official of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation said the revamp would be carried out in accordance with the survey done by Jadavpur University’s department of construction engineering.

Moreover, proposal has also been made for construction of two toilet blocks, renovation of the stage, a green room and provision for acoustic wall and roof panelling for having a better sound system.

“The renovation will cost Rs 40.42 lakh. Tenders have been floated and the work will begin in a couple of months. The project is expected to be over by December end,” said corporation engineer (division II) Lalit Mohan Das.

Das said renovation of the floor had already been done, while other constructions would be subsequently undertaken. Gauri Shankar Ray, a torchbearer of Odia language, established the Town Hall around 1890s in Cuttack. Born in a Bengali zamindar family, Ray was against the discriminatory policy of the British regime and fought to revive the rich cultural heritage of Odisha.

At the Town Hall building, many important public meetings were held that were instrumental in ushering in a change in the state.

“The Town Hall used to be a hub of the then emerging middle-class intellectuals and a platform to sensitise public opinion on administration, linguistic and other social issues,” said history professor of Ravenshaw University Chandi Prasad Nanda.

Nanda said various other important issues related to the creation of a separate province for the state and values of freedom struggle were also discussed and debated here. Keeping in view its glorious past, residents of the city had been demanding for its renovation and restoration since long.

Official sources said the technical wing of Jadavpur University had conducted a detailed safety assessment of the building in 2010.

The team has stressed that no additional load should be put on the existing single-storey building and suggested enhancement of quality of the existing structure’s durability.

“We welcome the move of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation to preserve the heritage structure, which can again serve as a platform for highlighting several social issues in today’s context,” said Satya Das, a local resident.