The Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry and The Consulate General of Italy in Kolkata organised a discussion on “Heritage Preservation and Conservation in Kolkata : Can Italy play a role?” on Monday, 18th October 2021 at The Bengal Chamber premises.

His Excellency Vincenzo de Luca, Ambassador of ltaly to lndia visited The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, along with Mr. Gianluca Rubagotti, The Consulate General of ltaly in Kolkata and discussed on the collaborative opportunities between Kolkata and Italy on the aspect of Conservation of Cultural Heritage in Kolkata. This Program was also a relaunch of the presence of Italy in West Bengal and the main objective of the visit of H.E. Vincenzo De Luca, Ambassador of Italy to India, to Kolkata. He emphasized on how India and Italy could work together for developing the Heritage in this part of the region. He mentioned that “Heritage is not just preservation; it is the link between Tradition and Innovation and is a regeneration of experience, tradition, etc looking at Fusion. Italy is in the forefront of Heritage Conservation and plays a key role towards regeneration of historical centres. Kolkata is one of the regions of West Bengal which is mostly affected by Climate change and we need to look at newer programmes or activities for conservation and preservation of Heritage buildings, places, etc and also on the other side these initiatives or programmes taken would help in developing and strengthening the Partnership between India and Italy. Inclusive growth is regeneration of Heritage in Kolkata, Italy has 59 UNESCO sites”.

The Ambassador also mentioned that Italy has research and development centres and they are very much into innovation. There are 3400 museums in Italy and he stressed on the Public Private Partnership, especially on the Private sector participation i.e. the MSMEs as well as competent authorities which would help in preservation and conservation of Heritage in the long run. He specifically mentioned that creating awareness is of utmost importance towards regeneration of Heritage.

The Bengal Chamber’s Heritage Committee, Chaired by Mr G M Kapur, State Convenor, lNTACH mention that "In Heritage Preservation and Conservation especially of built and material heritage, Italy is by far the world leader. There is no doubt that Italy can play a very important role in this field for Kolkata by sharing experiences and advising on best practices. We are delighted that Hon'ble Italian Ambassador to India and the Hon'ble Italian Consul General in Kolkata have taken the initiative to arrange this seminar which will provide valuable inputs to heritage conservationists and enthusiasts and advance this very important cause."

The session was also addressed by Shri Soumen Mitra, lPS, Commissioner of Police, Kolkata Police. Shri Mitra shared his perspectives on Heritage Conservation focusing West Bengal. He mentioned about the numerous old buildings and heritage properties which are being conserved and restored by the Kolkata Police. The list includes the Police Training School (PTS) of 1914, also known as the Dalanda House, which was in shambles, was restored and is now one of the most beautiful structures in Kolkata. The Police Department has also restored and conserved the Barrackpore Park which was the “country retreat” of the Governor General, Lord Wellesley, built in 1800. The same was in an extremely bad condition when it was taken up by the Police for restoration. Other structures which  are  being  restored  and  conserved  includes:

• A bridge in Barrackpore
• A 150 year old building on Rippon Street by the Bhawals (part of the Bhawal Rajbari)
• City Traffic Guard building at Sealdah
• Annexe building of the Lalbazar Police Head Quarters
• Jorabagan Traffic Guard and many others.

Professor Tathagata Chatterjee, Urban Management & Governance, Xavier University Bhubaneswar addressed on Cultural Heritage Conservation in Kolkata − Collaborative Opportunities and Challenges. He mentioned that “Chinatown, located in Kolkata, was the largest settlement of Chinese outside China in Asia. Tiretta Bazaar, a Chinatown in Kolkata was named after Edward Tiretta, an Italian living in Kolkata. Famous architect Walter Long Bozzi Granville designed many of Kolkata’s legacy buildings, such as the High Court, Indian Museum, General Post Office (G.P.O). Walter L.B. Granville’s father was from Venice.

Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of the United Nations focus on Sustainable Cities and Communities. Target 11.4 of SDG 11 aims to “strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world's cultural and natural heritage”. A few areas where collaborative ventures between Kolkata and Italy can be explored include Dalhousie Square, College Street area, Kumartuli Potters Colony Area and Park Street Area.

The participants attended both physically and digitally, participants were comprised of senior members of The Chamber, Industry experts, heritage enthusiasts, representatives from academia. It was also covered in leading media dailies.