Two days after the announcement of the exit of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) from the historical Town Hall,the Standing Committee suggested that the historical building be converted into a museum. Yogendra Chandolia,chairman,standing committee said majority of standing committee members have agreed to transform the Town Hall into a museum. As Town Hall is the property of the MCD,we do not need approval from anyone to take a final call. We do not have a heritage that could be an attraction for tourists. By definition museums collect and care for objects of scientific,artistic,or historical importance and make them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary,we would love Town Hall to be one such entity, said the chairman. The decision was taken after members of Standing Committee refused the proposal of shifting the City Zone office,presently housed in the ground level of multi-level underground car parking at Asaf Ali Road,to the Town Hall. The office runs from make-shift rooms with temporary partitions. However,when the proposal of shifting City Zone office was placed before Standing Committee,the members protested. Rekha Gupta,councillor from Pitampura-North cited examples from Germany where town halls have been transformed into museums with the passage of time. I have been to museums in Germany and Manila (Philippines) and was inspired how they have maintained their heritage by developing museums,there is no reason why we would not convert it in to museum, said Gupta. Before the proceedings began,Mayor Rajni Abbi on September 19 reminded members present in the House that it was the last session of the House in the Town Hall. Built between 1860 and 1865 and modelled on city centres in Victorian England,the building was raised as a symbol of British paramountcy. Planned in 1857 to serve as an office for the municipality,chamber of commerce,a literary society and a museum,the Town Hall acted as a platform for interaction between Europeans and Indians.
