Wait on for Shimla’s town hall restoration

Work has been further delayed to start work to renovate the Town Hall a majestic colonial era monument on Shimla’s Mall road due to a row between two Himachal government bodies.

The Shimla municipal corporation is one of the oldest civic bodies in the country .It has been occupying the Town Hall for decades but has been asked to vacate it by the end of October this year so that restoration work can start .

But the civic body says the alternative accommodation being provided by the Shimla district administration is far less to house its offices .

The Asian Development Bank(ADB) has already sanctioned Rs 18.5 crore to renovate this Raj era monument .

The Town Hall building is badly in need of repairs. But conservationists are attempting to restore it to its original look when it was built in 1908 .

The facade will remain the same .The slanting slate roof will be changed by new slates .Extensive glazing work will be carried out indoors .Besides ornamental stonework of the exterior .

The plan is also turn the tarred Mall road into a cobbled street besides creating parks and sitting places in and around the area .The entire restoration process will take a couple of years .

The adjoining much larger Raj era Gaiety Theatre building has already been renovated and restored a few years ago .