New Delhi : A single-storey white colonial constructing in Delhi’s Diplomatic Enclave, which has stood as a silent witness to the Capital’s policing historical past for practically 9 many years, is now present process a metamorphosis that may give it a brand new lease of life.
Tucked discreetly in a leafy nook, 17, Mom Teresa Crescent Marg in Chanakyapuri, is being redeveloped into a contemporary Gazetted Officers’ (GOs) mess. As soon as accomplished, the revamped house will function a social and ceremonial hub for senior cops above the rank of assistant commissioners (ACPs). In line with officers aware of the refurbishment plan, it’s going to additionally supply an area to host official and private gatherings, from promotion and retirement events to birthdays and even weddings of the officers’ youngsters.
At current, the 90-year-old constructing, unfold throughout about 4 acres, is serving because the police academy for ‘good policing’ and workplaces of the Police Households Welfare Society (PFWS).
The campus, referred to as ‘17 MTC’ amongst police officers, stands practically 400 metres from the Teen Murti–Haifa Chowk roundabout. It has two iron gates—one for entry and the opposite for exit—related by an inside driveway. Beside the driveway is an extended, open inexperienced garden that’s usually used to arrange non permanent tents for social gatherings.
About 100 ft from the doorway gate is the principle white limestone constructing. A protracted entrance hall with 30 spherical pillars runs throughout it. Parallel to the hall are 10 rooms and halls, at the moment used for good policing coaching, conferences, and workplaces of the Police Households Welfare Society (PFWS).
The plan to show it right into a GOs mess was made by senior functionaries on the police headquarters, in line with assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Chandra Prakash, who has additionally been the constructing’s caretaker for the previous 20 years.
Below it, a portion of the heritage construction and its lawns might be made accessible to gazetted officers for paid bookings to host their events and different capabilities, he added. It’s the solely place in central Delhi, the place a majority of the police brass lives in official flats, with adequate house for this function. Delhi Police are utilizing their very own funds, allotted by the central authorities, for the redevelopment work. Senior cops, nonetheless, mentioned no modifications might be made to the outdated construction.
Because of this, over the past eight months, fashionable additions have been made to its premises, mentioned Kailash Kaushik, one other police official on the campus. On the proper facet of the inside garden, one can now see a swanky and clear glass home with fashionable lighting and transportable air-conditioner (AC) models. The glass home can seat about 100 visitors and is right for small capabilities.
On the rear garden, now there’s a bar counter with cabinets fabricated from wooden and glass with an in depth show of empty liquor bottles, giving it a club-like really feel. Close by, there now a lounge house for guests.
“There are totally different reserving charges for the entrance garden and the glasshouse. The reserving charge for the entrance garden is ₹35,000 plus ₹10,000 as cleansing and upkeep cost. The glass home with the bar counter and the lounge may be booked by paying ₹30,000 plus the upkeep charge of ₹6,500. These costs are just for Delhi Police’s GOs,” mentioned Prakash.
The reserving and upkeep costs for GOs of different legislation enforcement, safety, army, para-military and intelligence companies are greater — ₹1 lakh for the entrance lawns and ₹45,000 for the glass home. “A secure home for VVIPs has additionally been created inside the premises to safe necessary visitors throughout emergencies,” mentioned one other officer on the campus, asking to not be named.
Whereas the venue hosts one or two capabilities each month on common, this might enhance to a few or 4 each week as soon as the place begins absolutely functioning as a large number. Additionally, the request for a everlasting liquor licence in-house catering companies are nonetheless pending. “As of now, the particular person internet hosting the occasion has to acquire the liquor licence from the involved departments for the day,” mentioned Kaushik.
From a small police submit to a full-fledged police station
The construction that stands at the moment was accomplished in 1935, two years after the British made Delhi the capital. It grew to become house to Roberts Street police station, named after Robert Tor Russell, the British architect of Connaught Place.
“The Roberts Street police submit was established below the then New Delhi police station, which is now referred to as the Parliament Avenue police station. The submit was chargeable for policing the newly constructed authorities advanced and residential areas round what’s now the Rashtrapati Bhawan,” in line with ACP Rajender Kalkal, instrumental in creating the Delhi Police archives and establishing the police museum.
In March 1941, when the Tughlak Street police station was established, the Roberts Street police submit was introduced below its territorial jurisdiction. It stayed this manner until Might 1958 when it was transformed right into a full-fledged police station to fulfill the safety and legislation and order wants of central Delhi.
“With time, the Roberts Street police station went via a number of identify modifications. It was first renamed Teen Murti Marg police station, then Teen Murti police station, and eventually Chanakyapuri police station, reflecting the identification of the diplomatic neighbourhood that had emerged round it,” added Kalkal.
In line with the police archives, after the Chanakyapuri police station was shifted to a brand new and bigger constructing close to the Nehru Planetarium in 1963, the outdated colonial construction was given a special function. At first, it was first transformed into the Reserve New Delhi (RND) police strains, the second police strains of the town police.
“The RND police strains dealt with policing issues within the metropolis’s central and southern components. It was additionally seen as an enlargement of the police power within the metropolis that was increasing quickly,” mentioned a senior police officer, who requested to not be named.
The RND police strains functioned on the colonial construction for practically a decade and in 1973 it was transformed into the Delhi Site visitors Police strains, which functioned there until 2011. Nevertheless, the place continued to be referred to as the site visitors police strains till 2011, once they had been shifted to the full-fledged headquarters of the site visitors police at Todapur close to Inderpuri in west Delhi.
After the site visitors strains had been relocated, Delhi Police determined to revive and reuse the heritage constructing relatively than abandon it. In 2013, the constructing was allotted to the Delhi Police Academy for coaching functions. Now it’s an academy for good policing for gazetted officers – from ACPs to particular commissioners of police.
Then, in 2017, it additionally grew to become house to the PFWS chairman’s workplace. It will proceed on the location till a choice is taken to shift them elsewhere.
