Work underway to turn Cooch Behar into heritage town

COOCH BEHAR: The process to transform Cooch Behar into a heritage town is underway with an approved budget of Rs 110 crore. Restoration, renovation and beautification work is going on at full speed.

A meeting was held on Wednesday at the conference hall of the Cooch Behar District Magistrate’s Office to discuss ways to expedite the completion of this project and present it to the public. District Magistrate Pawan Kadian, Cooch Behar Municipal Chairman Rabindranath Ghosh, officials from various departments, PWD engineers, and others were present at the meeting.

Pawan Kadian, the District Magistrate of Cooch Behar, stated: “Renovation work on all the heritage buildings has begun, with 90 out of 154 sites currently undergoing renovations. Our target is to complete these works within the next three to four months, weather permitting. Our goal is to transform Cooch Behar into a heritage city. All renovations are being carried out in compliance with heritage regulations. Additionally, a heritage gate is being constructed at the Khagrabari area, serving as the main entrance to Cooch Behar city. Overall, the heritage work is progressing at a rapid pace.”

Out of the 154 identified heritage sites, work on 90 sites has already commenced, with a few nearing completion

In 2017, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had visited Cooch Behar and expressed her desire to declare it a heritage town.

Since then, efforts have been made to initiate the transformation. In 2019, the Heritage Committee was formed, and 154 locations in Cooch Behar were identified as heritage sites, including various old buildings and ponds.

Out of the 154 identified heritage sites, work on 90 sites has already commenced, with a few nearing completion.

This includes the revitalisation of significant ponds like Sagar Dighi and Bairagi Dighi in Cooch Behar city, which are being modernized. During the meeting, discussions focused on expediting the completion of these projects.