‘CLOCK TOWER SHOULD GET PROTECTED MONUMENT STATUS’

The Clock Tower should get protected monument status and subject experts like ASI should be roped in to give authentic restoration to the 135-year-old structure, said heritage enthusiasts. “Our city’s heritage is losing sheen. It’s unfortunate that despite being an old structure, it is neither on the state nor on the centre’s protection list. The monument should be granted protected status to ensure regular maintenance,” demanded S Mohammed Haider, heritage activist. Historian Roshan Taqui stressed that the restoration should be carried by the subject matter expert and not by a constructing agency. “It’s not a new construction. It’s the restoration of an ancient monument that needs expertise,” he said.