The construction activities at the historic Crawford Hall, which were halted after the intervention of the Department of Archaeology and Heritage, have been quietly restarted by the University of Mysore (UoM) authorities even as the district heritage committee clarified that they have not granted any permission to go ahead with the construction.
The issue is over the construction of a structure to accommodate an elevator in Crawford Hall, the administrative headquarters of the university. Built in 1947, the Crawford Hall is classified as a heritage building and constructions and modifications can only be done after scrutiny by the district heritage committee.
The university taking up the construction without the necessary permissions had come under fire from several quarters only to face intervention by the heritage department. Experts had then pointed out that though the structure stands detached from the heritage building, to make an entry point on the second floor, the intricate balustrades and Tuscan columns need to be demolished which would affect the structural stability of the building.
However, the authorities are going ahead with the construction of the concrete structure at a brisk pace. When officials in the district heritage committee that grants permission for construction activities in the structures were contacted, concerned officials at both MUDA Town Planning and Mysuru City Corporation clarified that they have not got any application nor they have given any permission for the university to undertake any construction in the structure. Meanwhile, registrar R Shivappa maintained that they have not restarted the construction and added he would ask the concerned to refrain from restarting it.
