Writers Buildings

The Writers buildings also known as Mahakaran in bengali is situated in the heart of the city Kolkata addressing itself at Brabourne Rd, B B D Bagh, Kolkata.The writers buildings is the headquarters for the State government of West Bengal. The respected Chief minister of west Bengal holds her office in the Writers buildings.

This massive structure was designed by Thomas Lyon in 1777, it originally served as the office for the British government in Bengal and the writers of East India Company. Since then it has gone through several extensions over the years. The stretch of the building is 150 meter long and it covers the entire northern stretch of the a water body locally called Lal Dighi. Various departments of the West Bengal government are situated in this building. This building holds great importance to every people of the state as it is a great evidence of Indian Independence Movement and political significance.

For the first time in history the West Bengal Government will have to move to a new address which is another side of river hoogly. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said that on 7^th of August that the relocation would take place as the historic structure, which she said had turned into a “tinderbox,” needed to be renovated and restored. Few days later more than thousands of state government employees along with most of the ministers shifted to Howrah Bridge Commissioners (HRBC) Building a 14-storied building situated on the banks of river hoogly. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee named the HRBC building as Nabanna which in bengali means new crops of paddy.

The renovation and restoration of the century old building which was constructed earlier in the 18^th century is estimated to cost around 200 crore. The HRBC Building, which was conceived and set up during the time of Left Front government, was to have housed a garment park and now instead it will be the new seat of power of the State government.

Historian P.T. Nair said the reddish, customised emulsion that forms Buildings’s exterior was used to bind the red bricks during its construction. That gave the structure, both Gothic and Regal, its trademark red colour.The department of architecture of the two best universities Jadavpur University and Bengal Engineering and Science university have given the responsibility of preparing a detailed report of the reconstruction process of the Writers’ buildings.

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