350-year-old building in Patna taluka to be demolished | 14 May 2022

On May 13, 2022, the Supreme Court allowed the demolition of a 350-year-old building of the collectorate office in Bihar's capital Patna.

The Patna unit of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) had filed a petition in the Supreme Court to save the building. The court in its order said that not every building of the British Raj is fit to be protected.
Challenging the state government's decision to demolish the building, the petition had said that the building is a major part of the city's cultural heritage. It should be preserved rather than demolished.
The Bihar government had issued orders on July 31, 2019, deciding to demolish this dilapidated building of the Patna collector's office. The Supreme Court had in September 2020 directed to maintain the status quo in the building.
The Bihar Urban Arts and Heritage Commission had on June 4, 2020 approved the demolition of the collectorate complex. In 1972, archaeological survey of India (ASI) conducted a survey in Bihar. It too had not included the Collectorate of Patna in the list of protected buildings.
It is worth mentioning that this building was used by the British as a warehouse for opium and salt storage.