CUTTACK: The british-era jail at Dargah Bazaar which has been wallowing in neglect is set to get a new lease of life. The district administration has taken steps for preserving the memories of freedom fighters by giving a facelift to the prison.
At a meeting on Friday collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani directed all line department officials to expedite necessary works in this regard. With the move, the nine-year-old proposal to develop a portion of historic Ward 15 of the jail into a freedom fighters’ memorial museum received an impetus.
The authorities concerned did not show any urgency in renovating the ward even after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik laid the foundation stone for it in January 2010.
As per reports, the jail was built in 1881 with a civil ward constituting a 70 ft x 34 ft room to accommodate 100 civil prisoners. The prison functioned as a district jail after creation of separate Bihar and Odisha province in 1912.
Later, it became a central jail when Odisha got separate province status in 1936. The jail was then shifted from Cuttack to Choudwar between 1984 and 1988.
Ward 15 which had housed eminent freedom fighters like Nabakrushna Choudhury, Harekrushna Mahatab was left and kept for future glimpse.
Later, Cuttack Chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) had planned and proposed conversion of the existing structure of Ward 15 into an enclosed memorial with a flame and names of all prominent freedom fighters who were jailed during the Independence struggle in association with Cuttack Development Authority(CDA).
“Officials of CDA have been directed to identify a piece of land which will be developed into a parking place besides initiating step for peripheral development and beautification,” said Chayani.
INTACH has prepared a revised plan and design and submitted a fresh proposal to CDA for conservation of remnant of the Old Jail, setting up Freedom Fighters’ Memorial museum, a gallery and also an interpretation centre at an estimated cost of Rs 6 crore.
“The plan and estimate will be submitted to Development Commissioner for sanction of funds for commencement of the project as soon as possible,” Chayani informed.
Among others, CDA Secretary Manoranjan Mohapatra, INTACH Director Mallika Mitra and its Odisha Chapter Convener AB Tripathy were present.