Structurally weak, Odisha Bhawan set to be demolished by December
Narahari Maohapatri has been working as a member of the housekeeping staff for the last 28 years.
2 min read
The building is 44 years old. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna) Odisha Bhawan, located in the heart of Delhi’s diplomatic area and the oldest government-run guesthouse, is to be demolished by December, as the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has marked it to be structurally weak.
The demolition of the 44-year-old building, which is yet to begin, has been pending since 2020 when a structural safety audit of government-owned buildings was carried out by NDMC. It was then that Odisha Bhawan was found to be structurally weak and beyond repair. However, it continued to welcome guests until a month ago, as the then NDMC report had stated that it should be demolished within two to three years.
The Odisha Bhawan has 24 rooms, a restaurant, and a gym. Over the years, top dignitaries from the Odisha government, such as Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, acting Chief Justice of Odisha High Court, Chakradhari Sharan Singh, as well as former Governor Raghubar Das have stayed here during their visits to the Capital.
For staffers of Odisha Bhawan, the decision is bittersweet.
Praful Kumar Sahu has been working at the Bhawan as a receptionist since 1990. “At first, we felt emotional because a building that had become our home was going to be demolished. But most of us are going to retire within a year, so it does not bother us anymore,” he said.
Jagish, who has been working as a waiter for 32 years, said, “The Odisha Bhawan has lived a full life… we want our state to also have a grand bhawan. We have heard that the new building will have nearly 100 rooms.”
Narahari Maohapatri has been working as a member of the housekeeping staff for the last 28 years.
“No cracks are visible on the walls because we have been repeatedly getting the building painted… But it’s an old building… It’s the oldest Bhawan in Delhi and is also among the oldest in India. No new staff has been hired ever since it was declared to be structurally weak.”
He added that as all staffers at Odisha Bhawan are set to retire soon, they have been told they can spend their remaining time working at Odisha Niwas.
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