The residents of Eden Hindu Hostel have written to the chairman of the
state heritage conservation committee saying the hostel, a heritage structure, has been in a state of disrepair for years.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation put up a blue plaque outside the hostel building identifying it as a Grade-1 Heritage structure last month.
The civic body had listed the hostel on College Street as Grade-1 heritage structures way back in 2009.
Some of the hostel residents, students of Presidency University, have written that the definition of a heritage structure according to the provisions of section 2 (42A) of the KMC Act 1980 says: “Heritage building is any building of one or more premises or any part thereof, which requires preservation and conservation for historical, architectural, environmental or ecological purpose.”
The letter says: “Is it true that the Eden Hindu Hostel is being properly taken care of? If it is true, then why year after year wards 3, 4 and 5 of our hostel have been ignored?”
Eden Hindu Hostel started as an undergraduate boys’ hostel in 1886.
The hostel is divided into five wards, of which 1 and 2 were reopened in November 2018 after repairs.
The entire hostel was vacated for repairs in 2015.
Sheikh Sahidul, a resident of the hostel, said it has been eight years since then, but the remaining wards have not yet been renovated forcing a large number of students to stay in the rented accommodation.
“...we are happy that a blue plaque has been put up, we are looking forward to the immediate renovation of the hostel so students can be adequately accommodated,” he said.
The students have mentioned in the letter: “Eden Hindu Hostel has a capacity to accommodate 275 boarders. But in the present situation…. only 115 students now reside at the hostel.”
Former state chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, the chairman of the commission, told Metro: “We have forwarded the letter to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation as this comes under their purview.”
