Vadodara/ Anand: After controversy, the ‘akhand jyot’ (eternal flame) was re-installed at the ancestral house of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Karamsad town of Anand district on Saturday.
TOI on Wednesday had reported that a group of locals had objected to a decision taken by the Sardar Patel Trust to replace the ‘akhand jyot’ kept in front of portrait of Sardar Patel with LED bulb.
While the locals had termed the trust’s decision as unfortunate, the trust office-bearers had argued that it had replaced the ‘akhand jyot’ with the LED bulb before two months on advice of heritage experts who had opined that keeping the flame burning may result in permanent damage to the over 150-year-old heritage building where India’s Iron Man had spent his childhood days.
On Saturday, a group of councillors of Karamsad Nagarpalika along with senior citizens from the town led by Anand’s BJP MP Dilip Patel (Mani) re-installed the ‘akhand jyot’ at Sardar House.
The BJP MP not only lambasted the trust which manages Sardar House but also declared that Karamsad Nagarpalika will now ensure the upkeep of the building.
“Residents of Karamsad and Karamsad Nagarpalika will now ensure that Sardar House is maintained properly. We will also have a caretaker to look after the building,” the MP said, while blaming the trustees for not maintaining the house properly.
“Gujarat government has sanctioned Rs 3.5 crore from the tourism department for providing a facelift to Sardar House. It is such a shame that the trustees have put a donation box at the house even as the state government is providing it enough financial support,” he said, adding that the donation box has also been removed by the locals.
When asked whether there is an official order from Gujarat government whereby the Nagarpalika has been handed over the management of Sardar House, the BJP MP said he will start the process to get such an order issued.
“It is shameful that the trust comprising of prominent industrialists is not looking after the house properly. In fact, nobody knows whether or not the trust chairman had bothered to visit Sardar House,” he said.
Despite repeated attempts by TOI, the trust office-bearers were not available for comments.
The trust which also manages the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Veer Vithalbhai Patel Memorial apart from Sardar House was set up in 2000.
The ‘akhand jyot’ that was reinstalled on Saturday