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DGP office set for major facelift

— Photo: INTACH

What’ll look like: A graphic picture of how the DGP office will look after modernisation .

PUDUCHERRY: One of the oldest colonial buildings in the Union Territory, which houses the office of the Director-General of Police, is all set for a major facelift.

The Police Department plans to utilise the services of experts from the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) to restore and conserve the heritage building.

A team of experts from INTACH have submitted a report to the department, after assessing the structural stability of the building.

Inspector-General of Police S. Vasudeva Rao told The Hindu that they recently had a discussion with the INTACH team to finalise the design. “We have put forwarded our suggestions. Certain modifications have to be made to the design taking into consideration our future requirements,” he said.

Co-convener and chief architect of INTACH Ajit Koujalgi said the basic structure of the building was in good condition and could be restored. However, the team found that cracks had surfaced at several points on the roof and walls, he said.

Deep cracks were found on the walls owing to the growth of plants and settlement of foundation, he said, adding that certain portions of the wall should be rebuilt.

The team had suggested measures such as repairing and restructuring of certain walls, repairing the floors, refitting of staircase cabins, construction of a new entrance and adding a few rooms. “The whole design was to strengthen the building, at the same time retaining its heritage characteristics,” he said.

Historical literature available with the INTACH revealed that the premise where the DGP office functions from had a history dating back to the end of the 18th century. Around 1789, a clerk of the Third French Indian Company named Combemale established his own storehouse there. Combemale returned to the Island of Reunion and the storehouse went to one of his creditors.

With the arrival of French Governor Dupuy, it was decided to rent “Combemale Store” to the company. In 1822, without the consent of Ministry at France, he decided to buy the property for himself. The Ministry reproached him saying that it was “an inconsistent decision” and asked for an immediate resale. The building was not sold, probably because nobody in Pondicherry could afford to buy the property. The general storehouse functioned until 1857. It was then that the Ministry decided to station a company of the 4th regiment of the Infantry of the Navy at Pondicherry.

Consequent to the decision, the French soldiers were housed in the existing buildings at the premise. Engineer Louis Guerre was asked to adapt the principal building of the store to accommodate the Infantry division and commenced the work in the end of 1857. His main job was to provide more galleries, to pierce sixty doors, windows and to elevate the floor. The barracks were delivered according to his plans. At the beginning of the 20th century, the office of the police headquarters was known as “Naval Infantry Quarters.”

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