Cuttack, Feb. 12: The freedom fighters' memorial, which is the last remnant of the British-era jail at Dargha Bazar, continues to be used as a parking lot even though chief minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone to convert it into a museum in 2010.
With an aim to turn it into a tourist spot, last year the Cuttack chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) had submitted a Rs 1.2 crore proposal for renovation and landscaping of the premises of the jail, which is also known as Ward No. 15.
As the government wanted to carry out the project in a grand way, it had asked Intach to submit a fresh proposal for restoration of the prison in the manner the Cellular Jail had been transformed in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The heritage body has already submitted a project report to the urban development department for its makeover.
However, the wait for its makeover continues as non-finalisation of the concept had twice in the past two years delayed execution of the project.
In the past two years, what the Intach and the Cuttack Development Authority have managed to do is undertaking minor works, including installation of tiles and preservation of the prison walls.
Intach in its latest proposal has included construction of galleries to house pre-Independence jail artefacts. Names and pictures of eminent personalities and freedom fighters, who were jailed here, would also be displayed in the galleries. Besides, there will be modern-day facilities, including an open-air theatre.
"We have already submitted our proposals to the Cuttack Development Authority and the urban development department," said Intach official Malika Mitra.
Now, the project, which will take nearly a year to complete, is expected to cost Rs 5 crore.
The jail was built in 1881 with a civil ward consisting of a 70ftx34ft room for 100 civil prisoners. Before the court came into existence, political prisoners were kept at Barabati Fort. The jail is associated with the state's history of freedom struggle. Once the site is developed, it will become a big tourist attraction," said local resident Sanghamitra Pradhan.
