KMC to put up plaques on every heritage building to cite their significance

KOLKATA: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will put up plaques on every heritage building in the city, stating its historical significance so that the people of the state as well as tourists coming from outside the state know the reason behind declaration of such heritage status.

"I have asked the Director General (DG) of the Heritage department to prepare a list of the heritage buildings in the city along with its gradation (category). Once the list is prepared, we will explore the history of every building and accordingly put up plaques stating their historical significance," Swapan Samaddar, Member Mayor-in-Council (MMIC) of Environment department said.

Samaddar has been given the additional charge of Heritage department in the present civic board and Monday was his first day in office as he was affected with COVID-19 soon after the swearing in-ceremony.

Some of the heritage buildings have such plaques but a large number does not have.

According to Samaddar, tourists visiting the state from outside will be very much keen to know the history of these heritage buildings.

There is a Heritage Committee of the KMC that consists of a professor in Environment Studies, an artist, an architect, Chief Law Officer (KMC), a historian, person nominated by the Director of Development of Archaeology and a nominee from Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority. The Committee sits for a meeting once in a month.

As per initial reports, there are some 1,400 odd heritage buildings in the city and gradation of some of these buildings are still pending.

Grade I, Grade IIA, Grade IIB , Grade III are the various grades of such buildings.

While assigning the grade, the committee has to weigh the structure or precinct's architectural value, age, its national and local importance, its physical condition among other things.