The Alipurduar district administration and the state public works department are drawing up plans for the renovation and restoration of the historic Buxa Fort.

A few days back, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had sanctioned Rs 5 crore for the revival of the fort that was used as a detention camp during the British rule.

Located in the Sinchula Range of the Himalayas at a height of 2,900ft, the fort was built by the Bhutan kings and later captured by the British. They used it as a detention camp and hundreds of freedom fighters were kept there for years.

In due course, the fort turned into ruins because of lack of proper maintenance. But even now, it draws hundreds of visitors, particularly trek enthusiasts because of the idyllic landscape with Bhutan hills forming the backdrop. They move through a 3.5km-long serpentine road to reach the fort.

Senior residents of Alipurduar, who have seen the fort turning gradually into ruins, said stones, iron materials and several other items were taken away by miscreants during the seventies and the eighties. “The devastating flood that Alipurduar had witnessed in 1993 damaged the boundary wall, cells, pond, a tennis court and a helipad,” said a resident.

In the past two decades, the demand for the restoration of the fort was raised by different quarters, particularly as the inflow of tourists increased in the Dooars.

This made Tamal Goswami, who is associated with travel trade and also an archaeological consultant, conduct a study of the fort.

“From 2004 till 2007, I carried out a thorough study of the fort and later submitted my report to the state government. Since then, efforts were made and finally, the state has allocated funds for renovating the fort. It is a historic structure that needs repairs and can be one of the prime destinations for tourists, like the Cellular Jail of Andaman. We feel once the work is done, more people will visit the fort,” Goswami said.

Sources said the cells, boundary wall and the helipad would be restored, along with some other works.

Surendra Kumar Meena, the district magistrate of Alipurduar, said the administration had already built a 2km-long bituminous road on the way to Buxa Fort from Santalabari, the last point till which vehicles can reach.

“We will develop the remaining 1.5km stretch soon. As a part of the project, the fort would be restored completely. The museum would be developed while the boundary walls and the cells would be repaired while keeping in mind that the old heritage look of the fort remains intact. The PWD will take up the project,” said Meena.