KMC to rope in IIT Kharagpur for gradation of heritage property

Kolkata: Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Firhad Hakim on Friday announced that the civic body is roping in IIT Kharagpur for gradation work of heritage properties.

The Mayor said: “Old cities like Kolkata are an asset. To protect heritage, a fund is required which is there with other such cities such as London and Paris. In India, the problem is that the Central government does not have any such funds for heritage conservation. Several properties are heritage where certain famous personalities were born but future generations regret it as it becomes a hassle for them to maintain it. Many of these are in decrepit condition and owners run away whenever approached.

They are also not able to give the building away to anyone since in such properties the heritage portion needs to remain intact while reconstruction.”

“We are committed to protect heritage. We cannot remove the heritage status once a property is declared one without a court order,” Hakim claimed. “KMC along with the heritage commission are going for a new sort of gradation work where there will be numbering denoting if a structure has an archaeological value or historic value. We are roping in IIT Kharagpur for this gradation work,” he said.