Shillong, Jun 18: The Meghalaya High Court yesterday cleared any impediment to the state government’s plan to demolish Bidhan Bhavan, also known as Roy Villa, a now crumbling building built by the second Chief Minister of West Bengal, Bidhan Chandra Roy, in the 1920s and which hosted, at one time or another, Rabindranath Tagore and Subash Chandra Bose.
A public interest litigation (PIL) had been initiated by Malabika Bisharad in November 2025 where she expressed concern that an historic century-old building was about to be demolished by the Meghalaya government in Laban’s Kenches Trace to make way for a redevelopment.
Bisharad had suggested that the building be protected under the Meghalaya Heritage Act. However, after hearing all the facts, a division bench of the High Court, comprising Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh, dismissed the petition.
Pursuant to a High Court direction in December, the Meghalaya Heritage Authority sat in February this year and concluded that Bidhan Bhavan does not meet the criteria for heritage status under the Heritage Act. However, it did recommend that a commemorative plaque be installed to record the building’s historical association.
The High Court added a suggestion that a bust of Roy be installed and the Public Works Department submitted a report wherein it laid out its plans to install a bust of Roy with a commemorative plaque in a garden on the property. The bench was satisfied with this and subsequently dismissed the petition.
