Centre Approves Rs 16.92 Crore for Nagpur Bench Heritage Building Restoration, High Court Seeks Detailed Affidavit The Centre has approved Rs 16.92 crore for the restoration of the historic building housing the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, as revealed during a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) hearing. The high court, which initiated the PIL after assessing the deteriorating condition of the century-old heritage structure, was orally informed that the Centre had cleared half of the proposed Rs 30-crore budget for the conservation project. The approval was announced during a hearing presided over by a division bench comprising Justices Anil Kilor and Raj Wakode. The court directed the Centre and the Maharashtra government to file an affidavit detailing the statutory provisions, government resolutions, and procedural framework governing the sanction and release of the funds. It also sought clarification on whether the approved amount would be disbursed in phases and the timeline for disbursement. The bench emphasized the need for transparency, requiring authorities to submit the complete details through a sworn affidavit for the next hearing. The PIL was initiated by the high court itself after noting the poor condition of the heritage building, which is protected under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) guidelines. The ASI had previously stated that all conservation work must strictly adhere to its heritage conservation norms. Initially, the restoration work was entrusted to the Public Works Department (PWD), but the court’s intervention has shifted the focus to ensuring compliance with heritage preservation standards.#bombay_high_court #nagpur_bench #public_works_department #archaeological_survey_of_india #centre
