Restoration of Main Gole Market building as museum likely to begin within a month: NDMC Official

There will be an expansion of Palika Maternity Hospital.

Conservation and restoration of the Main Gole Market building as a museum is expected to begin within a month as a tender process for it has been completed, officials said on Tuesday.

This will be the first museum of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the works for it would cost around Rs 22 crore, council member Kuljeet Singh Chahal said.

The NDMC had last year approved a proposal for the conservation and restoration of the Main Gole Market building as a museum and redevelopment of its surrounding area, including construction of a service block and a subway. ''The conservation and restoration of the Main Gole Market is expected to begin within a month and will conclude by early 2024,'' he said.

''The council had accorded administrative approval in its meeting held on August 24 last year. The tender process has been concluded and a proposal will be placed before the council for approval to award the work to the lowest bidder at their quoted rates of Rs 21,66,96,888.09,'' the NDMC member said.

Chahal said this is the first museum of the NDMC and it will have ''world-class'' facilities.

He said this project was supposed to start in 2006. However, the vacant site could not be handed over due to various court cases, Chahal said and added that only work of facade renovation of adjoining blocks (Nirual Block and Emporia Block) could be carried out.

The civic body is also planning to expand the Palika Maternity Hospital.

Chahal on Monday visited and inspected the hospital. ''There will be an expansion of Palika Maternity Hospital. We will try to make it the best maternity hospital in the city,'' he said.