The principal had expressed concern six months ago, now the way for a new building is being paved…

The roof of the 65-year-old multipurpose hall of Chandigarh College of Engineering and Technology (CCET) located in Sector-26 collapsed amid incessant rain on Friday. It had already been declared unsafe and sealed. Therefore there was no loss of life. Some officers of the department also reached the spot. This hall was built in the year 1959.

According to an official, Sector-1 to Sector-30 come in the list of heritage sectors in Chandigarh. In such a situation, the approval of the Heritage Committee was necessary before demolishing this building. Now there is no need for approval, further process will become easier. CCET Diploma Wing Principal ML Rana said that the condition of the building was continuously deteriorating. Six months ago, a letter was written to the concerned department and a proposal was sent to demolish the building and construct a new building.

Capacity of 300 students: 300 students could appear for the exam simultaneously in this hall. Up to 500 chairs were placed here during cultural programs, job fairs and other events.

This building has been witness to many important elections of the city.

This multipurpose hall was not just a college building but has also been a part of the administrative and political history of Chandigarh. Counting of votes for Mayor and MP elections has been taking place for years in this hall built during the era of ‘Central Polytechnic’. Even during the Lok Sabha elections of May 2024, EVMs were kept here under tight security. Due to the court case, this complex remained under police protection for a long time.

Chandigarh Administration Chief Engineer CB Ojha said that the engineering department had already declared the building unsafe after physical inspection and it was evacuated. After detailed structural safety audit, the case was referred to Punjab Engineering College (PEC) for technical opinion. The process of demolishing the building was also started. After the incident, the entire area has been cordoned off so that no one can go near the debris. He said that public safety is the top priority of the department and all necessary precautionary measures are being taken.

_photocaption_Being in the heritage sector list, committee approval was necessary for demolition*photocaption*

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