Overview
- The state announced its intent to pursue acquisition and said any transfer will hinge on the committee’s report and subsequent approvals.
- A joint review meeting at Mantralaya on November 12, led by Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar with MLA Devyani Farande and multiple departments, initiated the formal planning.
- The government will constitute a multi-departmental committee under the Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA) to submit a comprehensive report to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
- The panel will examine requirements for bringing the property under state control and for conserving and developing it as a memorial to India’s anti-colonial movement.
- Officials noted that London-based Indians pressed the case during Shelar’s recent visit involving the Raghuji Bhonsle sword, and that the India House in question at 65 Cromwell Avenue, Highgate, is distinct from the Aldwych building that houses India’s High Commission.