More than seven years ago, the Public Works Department (PWD) had declared the heritage building Gol Kothi, built by Raja Fateh Singh in 1833, unsafe and since then, authorities have turned a blind eye towards reviving the memorable structure.
The last witness in the heritage city which gives a glimpse of our rulers and Gurus is losing its sheen everyday due to official apathy.
Gol Kothi, located opposite the official residence of senior superintendent of police (SSP) where prime ministers once resided, is now in a deplorable condition and can collapse any moment.
Some portion of the building in which Maharaja Jagatjit Singh spent his formative years in the 1880's, has broken due to lack of repair work and the remaining portion is also peeling off.
Many proposals have been made by the Punjab tourism and heritage department to revive the Gol Kothi and other heritage buildings but to no avail.
Another heritage building, the Lahori Gate of Quila Serai of Sultan Khan Lodhi, had collapsed two days ago after heavy rainfall due to lack of proper maintenance by the authorities over the years.
Navjotpal Singh Randhawa, director of Punjab tourism department said they had demanded funds from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to conserve the buildings by renovating them and hopefully within a year, the funds would be provided.
{{/usCountry}}Navjotpal Singh Randhawa, director of Punjab tourism department said they had demanded funds from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to conserve the buildings by renovating them and hopefully within a year, the funds would be provided.
{{/usCountry}}"Once the department receives funds, we will immediately start the renovation work of all the heritage buildings in need of repair," he said.
Many other heritage buildings in the district, including Baghi Khana, Darbar Hall, Mazaar(Mosque), Bhoot Bangla and Jagatjit Club are in dire need of renovation.