Within days after it announced its plans to purchase a residence in london, where B R Ambedkar lived in his student days in early 1920s, and convert it into a memorial for the architect of Indian Constitution, the Maharashtra Government has issued a letter of intent to the Indian High Commission (IHC), UK, to purchase the residential property.
In a letter sent to the Indian High Commissioner, london, Maharashtra Education Minister Vinod Tawde alluded to an advertisement put out by a real estate agent for the sale of the prime residential property located 10, King Henrys Road, london, NW3 3 RP and stated: “This house is of cultural and national importance & pride for millions of people in India. The Government has principally decided to purchase the residence of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in london. Therefore, I am sending this as “letter of Intent” to purchase property”.
Tawde, who had visited the heritage property last week and held discussions with the IHC officials and office bearers of the Federation of Ambedkarites and Buddhist Organisation (FABO), UK, stated in his letter: “As already discussed, you might have already initiated legal procedure regarding the purchase of the same at negotiable price”. “We are confident that the UK authorities will co-operate fully to preserve the heritage premises and facilitate the purchase process. The necessary proceedings will be completed following due formalities with the Government of India,” Tawde added.
Tawde, who was away in london to take part in the deliberations at the World Education Forum being held at central hall in Westminster london, had on Saturday last announced the State Government’s plans to purchase the heritage residential property in london. “Dr. Ambedkar's london residence to be purchased by State Govt. Visited the house & spoke to the Buddhist foundation President & met with IHC (officials)….They will go through all legal & int'l formalities & hope to make it a Ambedkar memorial in london by 14th April 2015. A proud moment for me!,” Tawade had tweeted from london.
The 2,050 sq ft residential property is located on 10, King Henry’s Road, london, where Ambedkar lived while studying at the london School of Economics in 1921-22. The original six-bedroom terraced house has recently been converted into a one-bedroom garden flat and a five-bedroom maisonette. It needs extensive repair and restoration. A blue plaque at the house's entrance commemorates late Ambedkar's stay in the house.
Tawde had said in a statement issued separately that after learning from FABO’s president (Mrs) Santosh Das that it could be purchased through an estate agent for Rs35 crore, he spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis – who was away in Switzerland attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, and appraised him about the availability of the property. On his part, Fadnavis had given a go-ahead for the purchase of the property.
Tawde had said that he had requested the london-based Indian officials concerned to complete all the legal formalities to purchase the residential property from the real estate dealing with the prime property within next two months. “We plan to complete the purchase formalities in the next couple of months and throw open the place to public on April 14, coinciding with the 124th birth anniversary of late B R Ambedkar,” Tawade had said.
The Goldschmidt & Howland, a london-based real estate firm, is dealing with the property. It is through this firm that the Maharashtra Government will be purchasing the erstwhile residence of late B R Ambedkar.