BHUBANESWAR: The state government has declared Utkal Bhawan in Kolkata structurally unsafe and suspended room reservations with immediate effect following successive engineering assessments that recommended demolition of the building.
A notification issued by the Home department recently said a structural safety audit conducted by the Works department has detected extensive damage, including major cracks, severe corrosion, spalling of concrete, sagging beams and carbonation levels exceeding permissible limits.
The latest assessments also ruled out retrofitting as a viable solution to bring the building into compliance with the National Building Code’s fire and safety guidelines, citing space constraints. “After careful consideration of the above reports and recommendations, the government has decided to declare Utkal Bhawan structurally unsafe for habitation,” the notification stated.
The modalities for demolition will be decided in consultation with the Works department, it added.
Utkal Bhawan located at 55, Lenin Sarani in Kolkata has been functioning since 1964 as an official Odisha government guesthouse and cultural hub. The Odisha tourism office began functioning from the premises on May 19, 1977 while an information centre of the Information and Public Relations department was established there in 1992.
The government has not specified a timeline for demolition or indicated whether an alternative accommodation facility will be arranged.