India, Sept. 5 -- New Delhi

The Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) has turned down a proposal submitted by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to demolish and reconstruct the Bihar Niwas in Chanakyapuri, saying the building design presented was a generic "modern structure" that failed to reflect the cultural identity and heritage of Bihar.

The commission, which considered the matter in its meeting on August 21, observed that the proposal was first approved more than three decades ago but the current submission pertained to the construction of a new building after demolishing the existing facility, according to the minutes of the meeting accessed by HT.

Officials aware of the matter said the NDMC forwarded the revised building plan f...