The British era bungalow and land on Kasturba Gandhi Marg are currently in the possession of the Kerala government.
“The Travancore House in New Delhi continues to be under the ownership and possession of the Kerala government and no decision has been taken to put it up for sale. The government has not decided to sell, transfer, or lease out the said building, and if anyone has initiated the process, it is baseless,” the government has said in a statement.
The General Administration Department of the Kerala Government said the government had not entrusted any individual or institution with taking steps in this direction and was looking to establish a cultural center at Travancore House.
“Currently, the Kerala government has initiated the process to restore and refurbish Travancore Place into a cultural center while retaining the ancient aesthetics of the building,” it said.
In October, a section of the royal family of Travancore agreed with Chennai-based Sahana Real Estate & Builders to sell the Travancore House along with a portion of a parcel of land that houses the bungalow in central Delhi and a property in Bengaluru for Rs 250 crore, according to the registered sales deed.
ET has reviewed the sale deed.
“The deal includes the undivided half share of the KG Marg land parcel spread over 8.195 acres, along with the bungalow, constructed in 1930 as the New Delhi residence of the Maharaja of Travancore, and a 208-square-meter plot at Doddamaranahalli Village in Bengaluru. Chennai-based Sahana Real Estate, getting a no-objection certificate from the Kerala government and clearance from the central government,” the registered sales deed mentioned.
In 2019, the royal family had written to the central government, seeking the return of the property, claiming that the Kerala government had only possession rights on it. The state government, on the other hand, claimed ownership at the time.
The building has been classified as a heritage structure by the New Delhi Municipal Council and also houses some offices of the Kerala government.
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