Belagavi :

A British-era tower clock here will be silenced forever to enable widening of a road.

Looking to widen Kalmath Road to 45 feet under its master plan, the Belagavi City Corporation has instructed authorities of the Pioneer Urban Cooperative Bank to raze the %part of the building where the tower clock stands. The bank authorities have secured a week’s time to do so.

The clock on the bank’s building on Kalmath Road sounds its bell every half an hour. Residents of surrounding areas, like %Kalmath Road, Ganapati Galli and Maruti Galli, have an emotional attachment with it. The clock helps some manage their schedules.

The building was constructed 110 years ago. In 1939, the bank management awarded the contract to manufacture the clock to Mumbai’s Swadeshi Electric Clock Company. A large bell from John Tailor Company was fitted into the clock 75 years ago.

The bank has employed a person to wind the clock once a week, and to maintain the tower.

Speaking to STOI, bank manager D R Jadhav lamented that the antique will soon become part of history.

In 1940, the management spent around Rs 40,000 on constructing the bank building. Now, the bank pays a like amount %as property tax, the manager said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Bengaluru / by Ravindra Uppar, TNN / June 14th, 2015