🚨 𝐇𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐎𝐰𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐊𝐨𝐥𝐤𝐚𝐭𝐚. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐓𝐌𝐂 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐭 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐦. 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐉𝐏 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
For years, Mudar Patherya has been working to make Kolkata beautiful again — using his own money, network and citizen support. His simple philosophy: “I own the city.”
Through his Kolkata Restorers initiative, he and citizen groups illuminated dozens of heritage buildings and transformed neglected public spaces with crowdfunding. But under the previous TMC government, his efforts often faced bureaucratic hurdles and limited institutional partnership.
That equation is now changing. Under the current BJP government, Patherya says major restoration proposals are receiving active official backing.
Key projects underway:
- ₹10 crore Kumartuli Ghat revival :
one of Kolkata’s historic river ghats linked to Durga idol-making, targeted for completion around 24 September 2026.
- ₹150 crore Writers’ Building restoration — which Patherya calls the “Mother of All Projects,” the culmination of nearly 35 years of planning and advocacy.
The government has also begun restoring Writers’ Building and plans to bring ministers back into the historic structure.
This is no longer just about lighting buildings. It’s about bringing Kolkata’s heritage back into public life — and for the first time, a citizen who said “I own the city” is finding a government ready to say: “Let’s restore it together.” 🏛️