Kapurthala, May 16 -- The district administration has demolished a nearly 90-year-old British-era building of the Kapurthala civil hospital to pave the way for the construction of a modern medical facility, triggering outrage among historians, members of the erstwhile royal family and local residents over the loss of the city's heritage. Christened Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji State Institute of Medical Sciences, the upcoming Rs.275-crore project will comprise a 300-bed hospital and a medical college with 100 MBBS seats. It will replace the existing Randhir Jagatjit Civil Hospital and is scheduled to be completed by March 2028. Commissioned by Kapurthala Maharaja Jagatjit Singh and built in phases between 1937 and 1941, the sprawling four-acre hospital complex comprised three major blocks. Now, only one structure - the Lady Linlithgow TB Clinic, whose foundation stone was laid by then Viceroy of India Lord Linlithgow in March 1940 - remains standing, while nearly 50 rooms in the two other blocks have been reduced to rubble. Amid the reconstruction process, the functioning infrastructure of the existing civil hospital has been temporarily shifted to an adjacent building. Archaeology conservators, members of the Kapurthala royal family and local residents have questioned the demolition process and demanded preservation of the remaining Lady Linlithgow TB Clinic. Terming the demolition unfortunate, Harbir Inder Singh, alias Harry Randhawa, a historian and archaeology expert, said the Punjab government should have consulted heritage experts before razing the structure. "One can only lament now, as local residents should have registered a strong protest right when the administration started the demolition process. Everything is lost now as a 90-year-old heritage building has been flattened," Randhawa said. He added that the government had strengthened and restored the building around six years ago, and removed encroachments from the premises. "The government should have coordinated with the Archaeological Survey of India or an archaeology conservator before bringing down the structure for a new medical facility," he said. Tikka Shatrujit Singh, scion of the Kapurthala royal family, described the demolition as shocking, saying Maharaja Jagatjit Singh had developed the hospital with some of the finest architects of the time to introduce advanced healthcare facilities in the region. Tikka Shatrujit added that Kapurthala, once known as the "Paris of the East", was steadily losing its architectural heritage. "The government should have explored an alternative space for the new institute instead of demolishing the heritage structure," he said. Kapurthala-based lawyer Amarjot Singh suggested that the remaining Lady Linlithgow TB Clinic should be preserved and converted into a medical heritage museum showcasing the city's contribution to healthcare and the humanitarian vision of the erstwhile royal state. Raising the issue, BJP state vice-president Jasmine Sandhu Sandhawalia said the structure was not merely an old building but a significant part of Kapurthala's medical history. "The Lady Linlithgow Tuberculosis Hospital was among the earliest and most significant TB hospitals in Punjab during its time, reflecting a remarkable vision of public healthcare introduced during Maharaja Jagatjit Singh's era for the welfare of the people," she said. Sandhawalia said she had brought the issue to the notice of Punjab chief secretary KAP Sinha and would also explore legal options to stop further demolition. "If the remaining clinic is also demolished, an irreplaceable chapter of Kapurthala's identity will vanish forever," she said. Congress MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh said Sandhawalia had raised the issue with him on Friday and he would take up the matter with the state government. "These were rare heritage buildings and at least part of the structure must be preserved for future generations. Though much of the building has already been demolished, I will write to the Punjab chief secretary requesting preservation of the outer main facade," Rana Gurjeet said. Deputy commissioner Akash Bansal said the matter was not in his notice and he will get it checked from the department concerned. The Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji State Institute of Medical Sciences was originally announced by former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh during the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev in 2019. In March, the state government had completed tendering formalities and issued the work order for the completion of the project by March 2028....