The foundation stone for the building was laid in 1989, during the previous tenure of the LDF Government. It was E Chandrasekharan Nair who laid the foundation stone and ironic as it may seem, the decision to pull the building down comes when he is once again in charge of the Food and Civil Supplies Ministry. The building is under the control of the Civil Supplies Corporation.

The Government, it would seem, has been swayed by practical considerations. ``We are speaking about 10 cents of land in a prime area, right in the heart of the city. The Civil Supplies Corporation would like to ensure that the space is utilised properly. We plan to build a four-storey regional office in the area,'' said a topofficial.

However, it is not all about proper utilisation of space.

The Indian Coffee Board Workers Cooperative Society (ICBWCS), which runs the Coffee house in the spiral building, and the Civil Supplies Corporation have been engaged in a battle of attrition for some time now. The Supplyco is committed to the idea of a Maveli cafeteria, where cheap but good food is provided. The Indian Coffee House does not conform to Maveli cafeteria specifications and charges normal rates. This has the officials peeved.

The previous LDF Government in fact wanted a Maveli cafeteria to function in the building, a fact which is revealed by the `Maveli store' inscription on the foundation stone. The initial idea was that the customers themselves would take the food from the counter and sit in a place of their choice to eat. It however did not turn out quite that way.

The UDF took over before the building could be opened in 1993 and then, former Food and Civil Supplies Minister T H Mustaffa decided that there wasnothing wrong in letting the Indian Coffee House run the cafeteria, charging its usual rates.

The concept of providing cheap food to the public was undermined at the beginning itself. However, there were no shortage of customers. ``We have 83 staff here and have been doing pretty good business over the years. We have around 2000 customers daily, on an average,'' says G Radhakrishnan Nair, senior manager at the ICH.

The initial agreement between Supplyco and the ICBWCS was that the society would provide ten per cent of the monthly turnover to the corporation as rent. ICH staff say that with the rise in price of essential items, the profit has come down sharply, even though the turnover has increased.

From April this year, the Society has been remitting an amount of Rs 1 lakh each month to the Corporation, as per a new agreement. Supplyco officials however say that an amount of Rs 57,994 is outstanding to the Corporation from the Society.

According to Supplyco officials, the ICBWCS is yet to sign a newagreement for operating from the building even though they have been providing Rs 1 lakh each month. Society officials refute this charge. They add that the Civil Supplies Corporation has not cared to look after the maintenance aspect of the building, even though the clause formed part of the original agreement.

It is amidst all these that the decision to pull down the building has been taken. Many are hurt.

``Laurie Baker is not going to live for ever. It is our responsibility to see that his works remain,'' said a noted architect, when contacted. Most people in the city would echo his view but sadly, Supplyco has `practical considerations' as its topmost priority.