At a glance
PALAKKAD: The call to preserve the heritage value of Kalpathy agraharam is as strong as ever but at least some residents, forced by a need to have spacious living area and the comfort it provides, are seeking to renovate or rebuild the houses. The Art and Heritage Commission (AHC), which gives nod after scruitinising the applications, has conducted a survey seeking the residents’ opinion on preserving the structures, entrusting the task with the students of Vimala College, Thrissur.
As its findings are awaited, the applicants are getting frustrated. The socio-economic aspects, including whether the residents opt for tradition or modern houses and their needs, formed part of the queries during the three-day survey among the residents of Kalpathy and Lakshminarayanapuram agraharams. “When an application is received for alteration or renovation of a house in the agraharam, it’s forwarded to the AHC committee.
Neither the municipal authorities in Palakkad nor the applicants’ plan designers were aware of the prerequisites of the approval. Therefore, experts from the office of the Chief Town Planner (CTP) conducted a one-day training camp for the officers of the Palakkad Municipality’s town planning department and the plan designers,” said District Town planner V A Gopi.
‘We’re totally against retaining heritage tag’
CHIEF Town Planner K S Girija from Thiruvananthapuram said: “An adalat too was held for the 19 applicants who had submitted applications for repair and renovation. In order to ease their problems, the officers at the CTP travelled to Palakkad and suggested modifications in the plans and designs of 14 of the applicants.” Girija told Express the residents of Kalpathy and other adjacent agraharams were in favour of retaining the antiquity and heritage of their structures. However, the developers are totally against it as they want to build multi-storey flats.
Some residents support it
Kerala Brahmana Sabha state president Karimpuzha Raman, who is also a member of the Kerala State Welfare Corporation for Forward Communities, said: “We’re totally against the idea of retaining the heritage tag of the houses in the agraharams. When our near and dear ones return after retirement, three brothers who jointly own eight cents, could settle here by constructing a two-storey house and live separately. The 18-foot height restrictions need to be waived.”