Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Rani Sarai which is the old police headquarters at Regal Square will be razed in the coming days for the construction of a huge Metro station. Rani Sarai was built in 1907, which will now be demolished after 117 years. From superintendent of police (SP) to the commissioner (CP), top officials continued to sit at this headquarters for a long time and the police control room was also operated from here. Even now the offices of Crime Branch, Zone-1 and 3 are also here.
However, a huge station of the underground metro project will be built at this place, which will include a huge parking lot along with the main station and Chhoti Gwaltoli police station buildings built at the back. To implement the Metro project, many government lands are being transferred by the administration in the central region, which include offices or vacant lands of various departments. The Metro project is being implemented in Indore-Bhopal, along with which recently the government also announced the implementation of TOD policy in Indore, which is to be implemented for the Metro project. In this policy, other benefits will be given in exchange of private; government lands falling in the area of 500-500 metres on both sides.
As per intention of Metro Rail Corporation, more than a dozen important government lands are to be transferred to the Urban Administration and Development Department, in which the land of Regal, as well as corporation headquarters is also being taken from the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC). Some land of the park and some areas near Devi Ahilya Central Library will also be taken. History of Rani Sarai Rani Sarai was built in Mughal style. The stairs leading to the second floor are made of stone blocks. This two-storey building was built by the firm of Bombay, Charles Stevenson and Company. The first floor and its windows are also made of stone. The second floor of the building is not made of stones but of bricks and cement.
There are arches for entry at most places in the building. There is also a fountain made of stone in the courtyard of Rani Sarai, which was built by Maharaj Tukojirao III after the death of his Queen's assistant Isaacas. In the year 1907, when Maharaja Shivajirao Holkar's wife Varanasi Bai was on her death bed, he had built the Sarai at Regal Square for visitors to stay. At that time Rs 1.56 lakh were spent in its construction.
