Razed DRM office porch to be rebuilt
LUCKNOW: : The porch of the divisional railway manager’s (DRM) office that was brought down by Lucknow Metro Railway Corporation (LMRC) to facilitate metro construction work is set to be re-constructed.
Railways officials said the new porch would come up at the same place and would be identical to the original one. “Once the construction work is over, LMRC will re-construct the porch that will be identical to the previous one,” said Northern Railways divisional railway manager Satish Kumar.
He said that the porch construction is expected to take off by February. “Until its demolition, the porch area was being used as a room. But after its re-construction, it would be used as a porch, thus restoring the building’s lost glory,” Kumar added. “Other than the porch, LMRC would re-construct the two entrance gates, leading to the main building of the office, inner road that is presently being used for the construction work and some establishments behind the DRM’s office,” a senior DRM official said.
Despite the claims of LMRC and DRM office that the porch was in a dilapidated condition and was demolished only after acquiring permission of Railways and Commissioner Railway Safety (CRS), the demolition of the porch last month had irked heritage lovers who had termed it ‘assassination of the city’s rich heritage’.
Some concerned citizens and heritage activists also handed over a memorandum to the DRM, expressing concern about the demolition of the porch.