This story is from January 5, 2015

Govt makes move to restore Clive House

The state government has evinced interest in joining hands with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to restore Clive House in Dum Dum.
Govt makes move to restore Clive House
KOLKATA: The state government has evinced interest in joining hands with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to restore Clive House in Dum Dum. TOI had earlier reported how illegal encroachment and the apathy of the authorities were turning the protected monument, which has witnessed the changing fortunes of many Rajas, Nawabs and ‘Hukumats’ for over three centuries, into a haunted house.

Presidency Division divisional commissioner Reena Venkataraman recently conducted a meeting with all stakeholders and discussed the rehabilitation measures in details. She has reportedly set a timeline for the restoration job.
Earlier, ASI regional director P K Mishra had raised an alarm on how ‘collective indifference’ was sounding the death knell for the building. It was found that the encroachers had not only occupied the complex but also constructed structures endangering the foundation of the old building that might have been a Dutch or Portuguese factory before Lord Clive turned it into his country residence after the Battle of Plassey in 1757.
After his inspection, Mishra had written a letter to Venkataraman and urged her to step forward. Following joint physical inspection and examination of the documents with residents, the government would work out a plan to free the land from encroachers, said an officer.
Earlier, several attempts, which included a series of police complaints, to evict the encroachers yielded no results. Around 20 to 25 families occupy the rooms and a part of building compound. The building may come crashing down any moment, but that hasn't deterred the encroachers from staying put.
In the unoccupied portion, ASI has undertaken some measures, like sealing windows with tin sheets and cleaning overgrown weeds. After removing the debris blocking the northern side, a semi-circular stairway leading to the arched opening was discovered. The pillared verandah, which was in a precarious state, was consolidated. Some stairways were restored but the main staircase in the north-west remains untouched.
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