Clock Tower couldn’t rise again despite HC order

Ajay Ramola

Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, December 20

The sad tale of the Clock Tower, its demolition and later hopes of its reconstruction is a sad memory of it for people who have lived with it since it was constructed at Landour Bazaar in Mussoorie in 1929-30.

The heritage Clock Tower that stood as a testimony to the British Raj was demolished by the Mussoorie Municipal Council in 2010 is yet to rise and tick again.

The Nainital High Court had directed the Municipal Council to rebuild the Clock Tower at its original place with the assistance of Sanjay Narang, a Mumbai- based businessman, who owns Clock Tower Café adjacent to the demolished structure of the tower. However, nothing has been done so far. NS Rana, Executive Officer, Municipal Council, says talks are on with all parties concerned to start the construction of the Clock Tower and soon the final decision would be taken in the matter.

The tower was demolished during the tenure of former Municipal Council president OP Uniyal, who had entered into an agreement with Sanjay Narang, who owns a hotel in Landour Cantt, for providing technical expertise for its reconstruction.

Narang had then consented to take all responsibility for the replacement of the clock of the tower as well as undertake repairs of the building, all at no cost. The delay in the project as it was mired in a controversy irks local residents who considered the Clock Tower as the heart of the town. Among them was popular Bollywood actor Tom Alter, who had even sat on a day’s protest near the site of the demolished Clock tower.

Subsequently, OP Uniyal, buckling under pressure, began the tower reconstruction work with bhoomi pujan, boosting the hopes of local residents that the work would be completed soon.

A CBI inquiry was ordered against the Municipal Council and its former president OP Uniyal for financial irregularities. This development resulted in more delays in the project.

Thereafter, fresh elections to the Municipal Council were held and Manmohan Singh Mall became its president. He also promised to get the Clock Tower reconstructed but has failed to do anything so far. However, the efforts to rebuild the Clock Tower at a new site at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Park were also opposed, forcing the council to rethink its option due to immense public pressure and the direction of the high court.

At present, no work is being done at the Clock Tower and the people of the town are eagerly waiting to see it rise again.

Inderjeet Singh, a resident of Landour, says the Clock Tower should be built at the old site and if it houses a library dedicated to Ruskin Bond and a café at the top, it will become another tourist attraction in the town.

Pankaj Agarwal, owner of the Hapur Sweet Shop at Landour Bazaar, suggests that the stretch from Picture Palace to Landour Bazaar should be declared a heritage bazaar with signboards uniform in letters.

No vehicles should be parked on roadside of the bazaar and vehicular movement should be banned after 4 pm. An attractive gate should be erected inviting tourists to the bazaar near Union Bank indicating all important landmark sites such as Kohinoor Building, Jain Temple, Sanatan Dharm Mandir, the only water Bawri in Mussoorie, Lal Tibba, Char Dukan etc. Landour Bazaar should be lit with ornamental lights so that it looks attractive during night. All encroachment and tin shops towards the north of the road should be removed so that tourists are able to see the mountain ranges and snow-bound peaks.

The Bakery Hill car parking should be expanded so that more tourist vehicles can be accommodated to ease congestion on the road and the Clock Tower should be built at its original place. The Castle Hill estate that is lying abandoned should be opened as a nature trail for people.

Murals depicting the traditional culture of Garhwal should be designed on the Pustha from the Survey estate gate till the end of the bazaar on the other end so that the area looks beautiful and esthetic.