KMC to grant heritage tag to ex-CM Siddhartha Shankar Ray's Beltala Road house

KOLKATA: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation heritage conservation committee has decided to grant a heritage tag to former West Bengal chief minister Siddhartha Shankar Ray's house in Beltala off Hazra Road following a spot visit to the two-storied building constructed in 1900. The team found that not only was the building historically significant, it was architecturally important too.
However, the gradation will be done after a formal documentation of the building.Sources said the building could be assigned grade I or grade II status. The latter has two sub-grades A and B with development allowed in the premises in case of the former and external additions allowed in compatibility with the heritage building in case of the latter. No changes are allowed in grade I heritage structures.
"A unanimous decision has been taken by the heritage committee members to include the historic building on the heritage list. The committee members will again sit together to decide a grade for the building. In the meantime, the civic authorities will need to make a proper documentation of the structure based on which a grade will be decided," said a KMC official.
The two-storied red brick bungalow located on 2 Beltala Road had a repertoire of famous guests like Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Pandit Ravi Shankar. The house bears the nameplate of Ray's father, Sudhir Kumar Ray, a well-known barrister at Calcutta High Court. Home to Siddhartha and wife Maya Ray, the house currently offers a homestay. Operated by Ray's neice Ilina Chanda, it offers two rooms that can accommodate six guests.
A member of the KMC heritage conservation committee Himadri Guha who was part of a delegation that visited S S Ray's residence on Thursday said it was a matter of relief that the building that is steeped in history and associated with people of eminence like CR Das and Mahatma Gandhi was finally set to be included in the heritage list.