The Department of Archaeology has said it will conserve the heritage buildings of Comtrust Weaving Factory in Kozhikode, if there is a directive from the Kerala High Court or after the State government issues a final notification declaring it as a protected monument.
K.R. Sona, Director of Archaeology, said this in response to a petition filed in the High Court in June by P. Sivaprakasan, functionary of the action council of trade unions at the factory, seeking restoration and maintenance of buildings on the factory premises. The Director of Archaeology, Managing Director, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC); District Collector, Kozhikode; tahsildar, Kozhikode, and the Archaeological Survey of India were the respondents.
Mr. Sivaprakasan had pointed out that the factory premises were now owned by the KSIDC under the Commonwealth Trust, Kozhikode (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertaking) Act, 2012. However, the buildings are in a bad shape and might not survive this monsoon unless “proper professional attention is provided.”
He alleged that Pumice Projects and Properties Private Ltd., which owns some parts of the land, was “unwilling to restore or maintain the buildings.” He alleged that though the district administration had handed over land documents to the Archaeology Department to acquire and maintain the buildings and declare them as protected monuments, “it has not been acted upon”.
Meanwhile, the private developer had challenged the Act and got an interim stay from the High Court in March from being evicted from the land. Mr. Sivaprakasan claimed that the stay “does not prevent” the department from taking measures to restore the buildings. He said once the buildings collapsed, new buildings would become a reality only after years as it would require government approval. He added that he was among the 107 employees who were left unemployed when the factory was closed down in 2009. If the reopening of the factory gets delayed, it will affect their chances of re-employment.
However, the Archaeology Director said a draft notification had been sent to the government to declare the factory buildings as protected monuments as per the Kerala Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1968. The department would initiate steps to conserve it with assistance from the Industries Department or as per government directions after issuance of the final notification, she added.
