Invoke Heritage Act: former ASI official

Vilakuthoon police station does not figure in ASI heritage list

For Daily, Madurai, 26/01/2012. : A view of Villakkuthoon Police Station in Madurai.-Photo:S_James

Even as the proposal to demolish the Vilakuthoon police station building has led to a virtual standoff between the “preserve heritage monument” groups, and officials in district administration and the police, a former official from the Archaeological Society of India (ASI) has appealed to the State Government to evoke the Heritage Act, which would help preserve monuments.

There are at least 75,000 to 80,000 buildings in Tamil Nadu, which had to be preserved as monuments. But due to various reasons, the ASI could preserve just 200 to 300 buildings in the State, said former ASI superintendent T.S. Sathyamurthi.

Speaking to

The Hindu over phone, Mr. Satyamurthi said on Monday that the government had the responsibility of preserving monuments in the State and it should not encourage vandalism.

Recently, the State had earmarked funds for constructing new buildings for four police stations in the city limits. One among them was the Vilakuthoon police station. After media reports of demolition and construction of new building at a cost of Rs.80 lakh, the INTACH and a few other organisations expressed dissent as, according to them, Vilakuthoon police station building enjoyed heritage status. A delegation represented the matter to District Collector U. Sagayam, he spoke to the Principal Home Secretary and also wrote a letter on the significance of the building to the higher-ups in the government, officials said.

However, in a new twist, the officials of the Archaeological Society of India have in a communication to the government informed that only about 20 buildings in Madurai are declared as heritage sites and the Vilakuthoon police station does not figure in the list.

A few ASI officials, who spoke to

The Hindu , requesting anonymity, said that “Any slightest modification carried out on the construction may disqualify it from being declared a heritage structure.”. In the case of Vilakuthoon police station, records revealed that about 45 years ago, the first floor was constructed afresh. Meanwhile, many retired police officials, were of the considered opinion that “At least, if the heritage lovers or the district administration provided an alternative site, the police could move in.”