Blue plaques installed on all Grade I heritage buildings in city

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has completed the installation of blue plaques on all Grade I heritage buildings across the city, following a model similar to that of London.

Each plaque carries a brief description explaining why the building has been classified as Grade I heritage, enabling citizens and visitors to better appreciate its historical value.

A KMC official said QR codes will also be installed in front of these buildings. Once scanned, these codes will provide detailed information about the structure’s history and significance. According to records from KMC’s heritage wing, the city has 1,292 graded heritage structures, of which 717 fall under Grade I. During a recent monthly meeting at KMC, Trinamool Congress councillor Biswarup Dey enquired about the number of Grade I structures and whether there was any mechanism in place to monitor them.

He also suggested that the civic body publish a guidebook on these buildings to assist tourists. “We have already installed blue plaques in all Grade I heritage structures across the city. Officials have been instructed to take necessary steps to ensure that researchers or any interested individuals can access information about the reasoning behind the grading of each structure. QR codes will be installed in front of these buildings, which, when scanned, will provide detailed descriptions and the historical background,” said Swapan Samaddar, Member, Mayor-in-Council (Environment and Heritage), KMC.

The Heritage Conservation Committee will supervise the QR code installation work, a KMC official added.