DC for shifting of offices from Madikeri Fort

Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy has directed the assistant director of land records to shift the government offices from the Old Fort to the new building of Zilla Panchayat, before October 31, as per the court orders.

The orders by the deputy commissioner have come in the wake of the High Court direction towards taking up renovation work of the historic establishment. The work will be carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Annies Kanmani Joy said that the district administration had promised the Department of Archaeology of handing over the old building by October end.

As there are government offices inside the Old Fort, the department could not carry out the restoration work of the building. Also, there were demands to shift the government offices to the newly built Zilla Panchayat building.

As per the directions issued by the High Court, officials from the ASI visited the fort premises and inspected the condition of the Old Fort building.

The team of officials also furnished a report to the court, on the probable steps towards the repair of the building. Following the same, the officials from various government departments had agreed to vacate their offices.

While the repair work was going on in January, the roof of the palace in the Fort premises had suddenly collapsed.

The walls of the palace are discoloured and the soldiers’ quarters have totally collapsed.

The leaking roof of the main building was covered with plastic sheets as a temporary measure.

Glorious history

Mudduraja, a ruler of Haleri dynasty, had built the fort in the 17th century.

Tipu Sultan rebuilt the fort using stones later. The fort was acquired by Dodda Veera Rajendra in 1790 and later came under the rule of British in 1834.