Guwahati: The Government of Assam finally obtained the land and home of Maestro Music Bhupen Hazarika in Kuthari near Kaziranga National Park in the Nagaon district.
The country cabinet in 2016 has decided to renovate the house as a warning.
The land was obtained from manager Dev and Himsand Private Limited Debojyoti Neog.
The dilapidated house, the last decorated Hazarika in 2002, was revealed after his caregiver Suren Neog shared his condition on the 94th anniversary of Bard in September.
Kaliabor Subdivisional Officer Pabitra Kumar Das said the district government handed over seven Bighas land to the cultural department on July 26 to establish a cultural center.
“The Government Assam proposes to establish a cultural center on the site that will include museums, cinema halls and libraries to maintain hazarika creations, including songs and literary works,” said Das.
The official said that property owners would get compensation to surrender land to the government.
Although the Government Assam has committed to developing House of Hazarika in Kuthari as a unique warning and the price against Doyen Culture, no one was carried out in the last five years to repair the house of one of the highest icons of Assam.
Bharat Ratna Awardee has bought land under the subdivision of Kalibor in 1974 and built a house, named it “APUN GHAR” (own home).
He used to rest at home when he traveled.
Many of his evergreen songs and literary pieces are written in this house.
Neog, caregiver, said the house was sold in 2012 because of circumstances that were unavoidable.
“The house was sold by Kalpana Lajmi to a Guwahati-based construction company for the treatment of Bhupen.
After that the company asked us to take care of the house.
In 2016, the Sarbanou Sonowal government decided to preserve the house but nothing was done so far,” said the caregiver.
Caregivers, fans and intellectuals urged the state government to preserve the house and establish a cultural center in his memory.
Minister of MLA and the state health of the Keshab Manganese have installed a statue of singer-musicians in front of the house.
The Sonowal government has also acquired Hazarika’s Kolkata Residence at Golf Green Area, which has been decided by Kolkata Municipal Corporation in the list of heritage buildings.