Hoshiarpur’s big clock starts ticking after 81 years
HOSHIARPUR One of the iconic landmarks of the city , the clock tower, built under British rule in 1936, escaped the attention of its custodians and conservators all these years.
The chime did not peal for decades but no effort was made by the municipal authorities to set it right.
At last, a non government organisation and a businessman came forward to restore the glory of British era structure.
On Monday, when the clock finally hit a note, it was music to the ears of the city residents.
The Rotary Eye Bank and Corneal Transplant Society along with Sonalika International Tractors Limited has restored the clock tower at a cost of ₹8 lakh.
Sonalika International Tractors vice-chairman Amrit Sagar Mittal inaugurated the structure in the presence of municipal councillors and citizens on Monday.
Under the restoration, two new amplifiers, fixed metal staircase and tube lights have been placed.
Municipal Council will pay the electricity bill for the building.
“The hands of the clock can bear weight up to 13 kilogram and withstand windstorms and heavy rains,” said Rotary Eye Bank president J B Behl.
“The time will be automatically corrected once every day,” he further added.
He appealed to the shopkeepers and vendors to not defecate or stack their wares against the walls of the clock tower.