Dilapidated govt. office buildings in Vellore fort to be renovated

The restoration work is aimed at turning the fort into a tourist hub

Dilapidated old buildings that are being used as government offices inside the Vellore fort will soon get a new lease of life as the district administration is all set to renovate these structures in the coming weeks to turn the fort into a tourist hub.

Accompanied by P. Ashok Kumar, Commissioner of Vellore City Corporation, Collector P. Kumaravel Pandian inspected old buildings, built in the 19th century inside the fort, on Wednesday as part of an assessment of their current status. “The inspection was aimed at preparing a roadmap for the restoration of colonial buildings, being used as government offices in the fort. Based on an expert team’s report, the restoration work will be taken up soon,” Mr. Kumar, told The Hindu.

Initially, the team will assess the extent of damage in these buildings. Subsequently, repair works will be taken up. During restoration, alternative accommodation for government offices will be provided. At present, offices of Vellore taluk, PWD, district treasury and forest department are located inside the fort, which has a total of 58 colonial buildings, including ‘mahals’, where the Mysore king Hyder Ali and his son, Tipu Sultan, spent their years as prisoners with their families at the end of 18th century.

The Corporation had laid a bitumen road for 2.4 km inside the fort. Installation of LED street lights, including decorative lamps in the Shiva temple and maintenance of the park within the 135-acre-fort, were being taken up as part of the Smart Cities Mission project, officials said.