Supreme Court Gives Nod to Demolish 350-Yr-Old Dutch Building

May 14, 2022 #SUPREME COURT
Judge Gavel Law Insider

Shivani Thakur

Published on: May 14, 2022 at 15:44 IST

Not all ancient buildings have heritage value,” said the Supreme Court green lighted on demolition of the over 350-year-old Patna Collectorate Building, constructed on the Banks of River Ganga by Dutch colonists prior to Battle of Plassey to serve as a thriving trading hub-cum-godown for saltpeter and opium.

The decision to demolish the building had made Dutch Embassy in Delhi write to the Bihar Government offering help, in collaboration with NIT-Patna, to make the building reusable with repair and restoration work.

Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) moved the Patna High Court challenging the demolition and pleaded for preservation of the ‘Heritage’ building.

As the Patna High Court refused relief, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage moved the Supreme Court said that the Archaeological Survey of India has inspected the building and had said it was of no heritage value and that it was unsafe to keep it standing.

The building had no connection with freedom struggle and doesn’t have any architectural significance. Can all colonial period buildings be categorized as heritage buildings without these having any significance for the country?” The Bench dismissed the Appeal paving way for demolition of the building.

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