THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The address—3, Jantar Mantar Road in the Kerala House complex in New Delhi which is synonymous as the old palace of the erstwhile Raja of Cochin and has been in a bad state is being renovated at an extimated cost of '50 crore by the State Public Works Department.
Cochin House as it is now known, once belonged to writer Khushwant Singh’s father Sobha Singh OBE in 1920 who was a civil contractor and a prominent builder of Lutyens’ Delhi.
Cochin House currently accommodates the offices of the resident commissioner, additional resident commissioner, controller and other Government offices of Kerala which act as a channel of communication between the State and the centre.
Earlier, Cochin House was known as Vykunt which was then sold to the Raja of Cochin by Sobha Singh. According to PWD minister V. K. Ebrahumkunju, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will launch the renovated heritage building by the end of next month.
“Maintenance work has been going on for more than one and a half years.The PWD is expected to come out with a new master plan on having a building complex at the Kapurthala plot there at a cost of Rs 50 crore. The administrative sanction for the work is expected to be given by August. During the first phase, 40 staff quarters and dormitories for 60 people would be constructed within this year”, said Ebrahimkunju.
Also, Travancore House or the Travancore Palace at Kasturba Gandhi Marg, which was the former residence of the Maharajah of Travacore, too will get a makeover and will include a 250 seater open air auditorium which will have a cultural complex.
