DIBRUGARH, Nov 22 - Intervention of the Supreme Court of India has been sought to protect and preserve Dr John Berry White Dispensary and Berry White Medical School, the oldest health care centres of the North-east.
The Dr John Berry White Dispensary and Berry White Medical School here are the first health care centres in the North-east, established by Dr John Berry White, a British philanthropist and a retired Brigadier of the British Army. The structures of both the health centres, considered as rare monuments, are in a dilapidated condition. The petition was submitted to the Supreme Court by Ammamuddin Ahmed, founder secretary of Dehing Welfare Society, a non profit organisation. The Supreme Court accepted the petition yesterday, Ahmed informed.
It needs to be mentioned here that funds were once allotted for Dr John Berry White Medical School building to be preserved as a heritage site at Assam Medical College & Hospital. But for undisclosed reasons, preservation works did not take off and the allotted fund was withdrawn by the Government of Assam. The State�s Archaeology department too, had acknowledged that the two structures were in a pathetic state.
Several local NGOs and civil society groups had in the past demanded preservation of the two old structures as monuments but authorities concerned remained in different to the public demands. Recently the Director of Monuments, Janpath, New Delhi had said that since the structure was not Centrally protected, they were not in a position to do anything as it falls under the custody of the State Govt. The petitioner told The Assam Tribune that the renovation and preservation was allotted to Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage, which also deals with preservation and renovation of ancient monuments. But till date no such types of preservation and renovation is being done to any one of the monuments.
