Mumbai

Maharashtra’s Minister for Social Justice Rajkumar Badole said here today that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate the erstwhile London residence of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar after purchase formalities of the 2,050 square feet bungalow are completed.

“The house in which Babasaheb Ambedkar once lived has tremendous sentimental value to his followers. During this trip, we completed almost all formalities required before we formally purchase the house. The remaining formalities will be completed by the end of May after which the Maharashtra state government will formally take possession of the bungalow,” Badole told reporters here.

Badole said a valuation survey of the bungalow is currently on and the estimated cost of the historic bungalow would be around Rs 35 crore to Rs 40 crore.

Badole, along with Minister Of State for Social Justice Dilip Kamble and Principal Secretary Ujjwal Uke was in London on a week-long trip starting from April 23, where they met the Indian High Commissioner along with the Director of the London School of Economics, besides the solicitor who has been appointed to purchase the historic bungalow.

Replying to a query, Badole said the estimated maintenance cost of the bungalow would be around Rs 60 lakh a year, which the Maharashtra state cabinet has approved.

“We will even hold talks with local organisations in London to see if we can raise money to meet annual maintenance costs,” he said.

An official from the Maharashtra Social Justice Department said that the state government is in talks with the London School of Economics to set up an honorary professor’s chair in the name of Dr Ambedkar.

“We explained to them that Dr Ambedkar is not only our leader, but their leader as well. Thus, if we set up an honorary professor’s chair in his name, the London School of Economics should, in return, give scholarships to at least two of our students every year. They are considering our proposal positively,” the official told PTI.