Shimla : The offices of the Shimla municipal corporation(MC) will soon be vacated to carry out renovation work in this Raj era building on the Ridge.
“Rs 2 crore will be spent to renovate the town hall in the MC building,†said the Himachal Pradesh chief minister P.K.Dhumal here Saturday.
“To carry out this renovation work the MC will have to shift its offices.They may for some time move into the nearby Bantony building,†said Dhumal.
“The Asian Development Bank(ADB) has sanctioned Rs 190 million for the restoration of Shimla. Out of this Rs 20 million will be spent on the town hall,†Dhumal said.
The Shimla municipal corporation is one of the oldest civic bodies in the country.Many have expressed concern at the poor condition of the building.Experts say restoration work can only be carried out if the MC moves out its offices from here.
Dhumal today inaugurated a museum showcasing the heritage of Shimla to inform locals and tourists.
The building was built in 1862 with stone and timber.
The museum offers a glimpse of well known Raj era monuments of the town including the town hall,viceregal lodge,the post office, the gaiety theatre, the legislative assembly,barnes court,ripon hospital,combermere bridge and gortan castle.
In a 20 year career published widely. He has worked for the BBC, AFP, The Statesman, IANS and the Business Standard . Known for his hard hitting writing and occasional off-beat stories. He lives in Shimla.
Bantony was declared unsafe for public use by the High court, what is Mr Dhumal’s thinktank trying to do and prove by shifting MC office there. There are quite a few other places and buildings to run MC office.