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Face-lift of ?Chaurasi Khambha? on cards
Historic 'Chaurasi Khambha', which provides shelter to hundreds of district court advocates withstanding the ravages of time, is finally ready for a face-lift.
Historic 'Chaurasi Khambha', which provides shelter to hundreds of district court advocates withstanding the ravages of time, is finally ready for a face-lift.
Buzzing with the legal jargon, the building is a silent witness to the visit of thousands of clients each day. Being such a famous venue and also an integral part of the district court campus, Chaurasi Khambha was lying neglected for the last several years. But now the entire building will soon have a new look.
According to Vinod Chandra Dubey, president of District Bar Association, the proposal of its renovation had been sent to the District Magistrate who has also approved it. "DM also visited the venue for inspection. The estimate of Rs 24 lakh was sent by the Rajkiya Nirman Nigam and hopefully the construction work will start by the end of July," he said.
At present, the entire building is in a state of utter neglect. The floor of the premises has got damaged, few pillars had been added earlier to stop the ceiling from collapsing. Seating arrangements are still at its worst here. "The advocates are forced to tie their chairs and tables to the pillars with iron chains in order to protect them from being stolen since the building has no walls. Instead of benches, they use takhats (wooden cots) since they are heavy and cannot be carried away easily," said Nayyar Siddiqui, an advocate.
There is also no provision of drinking water anywhere near the building. "Clients as well as advocates usually get water from the 'dhabas' which have come up near the venue. They face discomfort of all kinds and the situations become worse during summers," he added.
Now, the entire scenario will change. "The entire ceiling will be repaired along with the construction of floor. Proper boundary wall will be constructed in order to ensure safety of articles.
The arrangements for parking space and lights will also be made. Besides, there will be reboring of the well near the venue to ensure the availability of drinking water. A submersible pump will be installed to solve the problem," said Dubey.
"The building which has 84 pillars belonged to Jaipur estate and originally it was an inn (dharmashala). Its renovation will save such a historic building from being ruined," said Siddiqui.