SURAT, Aug 5: Last year, employees of the 20-odd government departments situated in the 458-year-old fort at Chowk Bazaar were not sure if they would unfurl the Tricolour there on Independence Day. But they did and will do it this year too. And perhaps for many more years to come.Sheer bureaucratic delay and a change of guard at the state-level, since July 11, 1997 - when former chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela formally announced that the city fort would be converted into a historical monument - has prevented from what should have been done years ago.According to the details worked out during Vaghela's tenure, while the district administration was supposed to provide alternate accommodations for all the offices lodged at the fort, the SMC was supposed to maintain it as a historical monument.But the collectorate is still in the process of looking out for a site to house these offices, even though the SMC has shown its interest to look after the structure.According to Resident Deputy Collector V D Asari, ``As things stand today, the district administration is still looking for an alternative arrangement to house the employees of the fort. Nothing concrete has materialised still and a couple of options are being weighed, although the open Agriculture Quarters space opposite the New Court building on the road joining Athwa Lines and Parle Point is being considered for the purpose.''Besides the land disputes court, and the Athwa Lines police station, offices of the District Superintendent of Police, the district HQ, the DySP, the deputy conservator of forests, the city and rural mamlatdar, the zonal ration card, the district land records, the labour commissioner, the CID, the IB, and many other minor offices are spread over 41,000 sq ft of land within fortified walls of the fort.The SMC, when contacted, blamed the collectorate and the state government for ``sitting over the project'', although it had been sanctioned in principle.``Though we have written a number of letters in this context to the collectorate, they haven't bothered to reply,'' alleged a top SMC official, who has been pursuing the project for about three years.Earlier, Jeevan Patel, deputy commissioner had told Express Newsline that though the SMC, which was very interested in the project, was even willing to provide the necessary alternative accommodation, ``the collectorate was not bothered.''The state government in its turn seems to be the least interested in the project. ``It would cost the state government about Rs 10 crore to erect a building that will house all the departments. I have no idea as to what the progress has been made in this direction,'' Asari said.Quipped one police official whose office is lodged in the fort, ``It's an altogether different experience to unfurl the flag on top of a fort and everyone does not have this opportunity. We may as well savour the moment and many more in the coming years.''
