British-era veterinary clinic to be relocated from Vellore town due to ASI restrictions

A British-era veterinary polyclinic, located a few hundred yards away from Vellore fort, is set to be relocated near the Central Prison on the outskirts of the town due to restrictions laid by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on the expansion of the facility on in its existing premises.

A British-era veterinary polyclinic, located a few hundred yards away from Vellore fort, is set to be relocated near the Central Prison on the outskirts of the town due to restrictions of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on the expansion of the facility on its existing premises.

The polyclinic is located within the prohibited area of Vellore fort, a 16th century protected monument, and permission from the ASI is required for any new construction or repair work to be undertaken within 100 metres of the monument, according to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act 1958.

The polyclinic, which covers an area of 5.33 acres at the centre of the town, was initially set up in the late 19th century as a small veterinary unit mainly for horses of the British cavalry stationed within the Vellore fort complex. The unit grew to become a full-fledged hospital and was eventually upgraded to a polyclinic in February 2019. It currently treats an average of 70 cases daily, with milch cows, bulls, dogs, and horses being the majority of animals treated at the facility, according to Dr. B. A. Nasser, the clinician.

The plan is to relocate the polyclinic to a 33-cent government plot in Thorapadi near Central Prison, where a single-storey building will be constructed. Veterinary officials revealed that despite the project being sanctioned three years ago, paperwork for the project is still being processed by the district administration.

Collector P. Kumaravel Pandian inspected the polyclinic on Tuesday and was urged by some pet lovers and officials from the Animal Husbandry department to speed up the work for the new building of the clinic, with better transport facilities.