The bungalow in Malda. The new circuit house can be seen in the background. Picture by Surajit Roy

Malda, June 2: The district administration has decided to renovate the old “dak bungalow” located near the new circuit house here and convert it into a guesthouse for visiting dignitaries.

The four-room, single-storeyed building is said to be over 150 years old and had been lying condemned for the past 25 years before it was declared a heritage building.

According to Satya Chowdhury, a retired professor of Malda College, the bungalow is a silent witness to the town’s history.

“The British indigo planters used to stay in the dak bungalow, which means that it was built in the early 19th century, I have also heard that Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose once came and stayed here,” the elderly professor said.

However, it is the heritage tag, acquired recently, that prevented the building from being pulled down.

“We have now decided to keep the façade and the exterior intact and renovate the inside with modern fittings,” said Chittaranjan Das, the district magistrate of Malda.

Das added that Rs 10 lakh had been sanctioned for the project and the work assigned to the Bengal public works department. The renovation will begin as soon as possible.

“The dak bungalow will be completely renovated. The floor will be dug up and replaced and modern fittings and furniture will be added. The terracotta tiles on the roof of the veranda, however, will be replaced with similar ones so that it retains its quaint charm,” Das said.

The grounds surrounding the bungalow will be beautified by planting trees, shrubs and seasonal flowering plants, he added.

The renovated building is expected to solve the accommodation problems of the district administration.

“We have been finding it difficult to provide government accommodation to visiting dignitaries despite having two circuit houses, one old and the other new,” the district magistrate said.

The six suites in the old circuit house are the most in demand because the rooms of the new building, constructed in 1996, are much smaller, said Das. “The four rooms in the dak bungalow, which are airy and spacious, will definitely attract visitors,” the district magistrate added.

The other advantage is the location of the bungalow. “The new circuit house in within a stone’s throw from the bungalow and the zilla parishad’s guesthouse is also adjacent to it,” Das said.

The old circuit house, too, has been declared a heritage building.

“Writer Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay stayed in the old circuit house when he was a deputy magistrate under the British rule in India,” the district magistrate claimed. Das added that both buildings are of immense historical importance and dignitaries would enjoy their stay there.