The Red Fort is expected to be a slightly more gracious, a little more done-up host to the Independence Day next year.

Venue of the Prime Minister’s address to the nation on the day, the 17th-Century citadel of Emperor Shah Jahan is awaiting a comprehensive facelift, which the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) says will begin soon. And parts of the restoration work, ASI officials said, will be done by next year.

The fort has undergone some changes since Independence Day celebrations last year, with minor conservation work done at

barracks B1 and B2, vacated by the Army in December 2003.

But work is expected to gather pace, now that the Supreme Court has approved the comprehensive conservation management plan (CCMP) — ASI is working on budget estimates and a complete project execution plan. The conservation management plan apart, ASI has also worked out a visitor-facilitation plan to make the heritage structure easily accessible during next year’s Commonwealth Games.

ASI needed the apex court’s nod to undertake any conservation or restoration work after a Public Interest Litigation was filed in 2002 opposing ASI’s conservation techniques at the fort. Heritage conservation agency Cultural Resource Conservation Initiative (CRCI) then prepared the CCMP.

“Now that the CCMP has got a nod from the expert committee, and the Supreme Court has given a go-ahead, the plan is all set for implementation,” ASI director-general K N Shrivastava said.

Besides the two barracks, ASI has also streamlined the parking lot by shifting it towards Delhi Gate. “The new parking lot can accommodate 300 four-wheelers and will be opened in a month’s time,” ASI’s superintending archaeologist (Delhi circle) K K Mohammad said.

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