Kolkata, 29 July (H.S.): The West Bengal government has acquired the ancestral home of Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee, founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, located at Jirat village in Balagarh, Hooghly district, for Rs 1,25,99,822.

The property was registered at the Registrar’s Office in Kolkata on July 3, and the purchase amount was transferred through bank transactions to the accounts of the legal heirs on the same day. With the completion of the transaction, the privately owned property has now come under the ownership of the state government’s Information and Cultural Affairs Department.

The state Cabinet had decided to purchase the property at its meeting on June 3. Subsequently, the Special Land Acquisition Officer of Hooghly held a meeting with the District Direct Land Purchase Committee on June 29. The entire acquisition process was completed within three days of the meeting.

Local MLA and Minister of State for Health Sumana Sarkar said on Thursday that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during an election campaign, had promised to preserve Syama Prasad Mukherjee’s ancestral home and develop a museum and library there. The state government has now moved forward in that direction, she said.

The state government had also declared a holiday for government employees on July 6, the birth anniversary of Syama Prasad Mukherjee, and observed the occasion in a special manner this year.

According to the state budget, Rs 200 crore has been earmarked for the development of his ancestral property, including the renovation of the old building, construction of a 125-foot-tall statue and beautification of the surrounding area.

Under the proposed plan, the premises will be developed into a memorial park, library, museum and auditorium. A full-length statue of Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee will also be installed.

At present, the property is being looked after by Bani Prasad Mukherjee, grandson of Syama Prasad Mukherjee’s brother Bama Prasad Mukherjee, along with other members of the family.

Jirat already has a school and library named after Ashutosh Mukherjee, popularly known as the “Tiger of Bengal”. However, there had so far been no major memorial dedicated to Syama Prasad Mukherjee in the area.

With the state government’s acquisition of his ancestral home, the process of transforming the property into a museum and memorial dedicated to his life and legacy is now set to begin.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey