Puri: The state government has turned the ancestral house of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at Gopalballav Road here into a museum and named it after the legendary freedom fighter. However, though the construction work was completed at least two years ago, the museum is yet to be opened for public due to some legal issues.
Puri district administration had leased 433 decimal land to Netaji’s father Janakinath Bose for building a house in 1916. Subsequently, the land and the building were recorded in the name of Netaji and other members of his family.
However, a few years ago Netaji’s family had urged the revenue divisional commissioner (central) to exclude name of the leader from the list of owners.
The then RDC Aravind Padhee had rejected the plea and directed the district administration to acquire the land and the building. Accordingly, the district administration took control of the land March 3, 2013.
The residential building was lying in a dilapidated state. As a result, the culture department decided to preserve the building and set up a museum to showcase the life and activities of the legendary leader. The state government had allocated a sum of `3.96 crore for the project. Former Culture Minister Maheswar Mohanty had laid the foundation stone for the museum December 30, 2013.
The state government had engaged the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) to implement the project. Preservation of the building and construction of the museum were launched simultaneously in April 2014 and all works in this regard were completed by October 2015.
The INTACH has constructed several air-conditioned galleries at the museum to showcase rare photos and artefact related to Netaji, his family and the Indian National Army (INA) formed by the leader. Besides, the agency has preserved Netaji’s reading room, conference room and bedroom for visitors to see.
Moreover, an open-air theatre, a fountain and a bronze statue of Netaji have been set up beautify the museum. However, the museum is yet to be opened for the public as Netaji’s family has filed a case in the Orissa High Court opposing the state government’s control over the building. Accepting the plea, the HC had pronounced a status-quo in this regard.
Some social activists and intellectuals, meanwhile, urged the Culture Department and the district administration to take steps to resolve the legal issues and open the museum for the public.
When contacted, district culture officer Choudhury Aravind Das said the issue is sub-judice and, hence, they cannot do anything in this regard it the matter is settled by the court.
PNN
