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Mayor proposes Rs 75 lakh grant for conservation of Deccan College
The proposal has been submitted to the standing committee of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The College had approached the PMC for financial support of Rs 3.5 crore for conservation and restoration of the heritage building at Yerawada.
Pune Mayor Mukta Tilak has proposed ta grant Rs 75 lakhs from the Mayor’s fund towards the conservation of the Deccan College grade 1 heritage structure.
The proposal has been submitted to the standing committee of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The College had approached the PMC for financial support of Rs 3.5 crore for conservation and restoration of the heritage building at Yerawada.
In 2017, this post-graduate college and research institute had received a grant of Rs 50 lakhs for repairs of the roof of the main building.
This third-oldest college in the country was renamed as Poona College on 7th June, 1851 and later as the Deccan College in October 1864.
“The main building of the college was built in beautiful Gothic architecture but sadly due to rains, the old wooden structures, and its roof is leaking and damaged. We have tackled one wing of the building and with the new funds we plan to tackle the other wing of the building. We plan to replace the old wood, change the GI sheets, repair the rally gutter for rain water harvesting as well as change the facia boards of the building,” said Varsha Jadhav, engineer, overseeing the repairs of this heritage building from the heritage department, PMC.
This college was famously associated with such stalwarts as Lokmanya Tilak, Indologist RG Bhandarkar, philosopher RD Ranade, social reformer Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, historian Vishwanath Kashinath Rajawade and Dr Dwarkanath Kotnis who had rendered yeoman service in China.
“I personally value this heritage property and it has a piece of history which we are helping preserve. I have extended assistance from the Mayor’s funds as much as I could do,” the mayor said.
