Atomic energy employees approach Centre over Mehrangir

In April 2014, they had written a letter to the state to give the property a heritage status

With the government yet to take a decision on conferring the bungalow of Homi Bhabha — father of India’s nuclear energy programme — a heritage status, a delegation of employees’ union of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has sought intervention of the Centre into the matter.

DAE employees, who had also approached the court seeking intervention into the matter, have expressed helplessness as the deadline given by the Bombay high court to take a call on this matter expires on Monday.

“We have met some BJP and Shiv Sena MPs and Union minister Smriti Irani to push the case. Apart from it, we have also given letters to the Prime Minister’s Office and minister of state Jitendra Singh (DAE comes under him),” said Prashant Worlikar, organising secretary of the National Federation of Atomic Energy Employees, one of the unions that are pitching to declare it as a monument.

“We have also approached the Maharashtra government on the issue,” he added. The employees also alleged that the state was not showing any interest to declare the bungalow as a heritage property despite their pleas on the pretext that the structure has not completed 100 years.

“But now we have procured a copy from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) stating the structure dates back to 1915,” Mr Worlikar said. Mehrangir, a sea-facing three storey bungalow in South Mumbai, was partly owned by Bhabha’s brother who later gave it to National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in his will. In June last year, the bungalow was auctioned by the NCPA for Rs 372 crore. However, the DAE employees wanted the property to be declared as a heritage site.

In April last year, the DAE had written a letter to the state government requesting them to give the property a heritage status, to which the then chief minister Prithviraj Chavan had said that he would look into the matter. Two employees, on behalf of the union, had approached the Bombay high court after the auction. “As per the high court’s order on September 17, 2014, the government was supposed to take a decision on Mehrangir in next six months. The deadline is getting over on March 16. “Bhabha was the architect of India’s nuclear programme. Many important meetings took place in the house and even the first Prime Minister, who was a close friend of Bhabha, frequented the place several times “Mr Worlikar said, adding, “we also have an emotional attachment with the property as Bhabha resided here”.