Kerala House
Encyclopedia
Kerala House is the official state house of Government of Kerala
at New Delhi
. As each state of India has to maintain a statutory representative and state mission house in the capital, to liaison with Central Government on behalf of state, Kerala House represents Kerala. The house belongs to Kerala Government, who is represented by Hon. Resident Commissioner of Kerala state administration. The house is located in heart of New Delhi
city at Jantar Mandir Road. The current Resident commissioner is Shri Inder Jith Singh IAS, a senior official from Kerala IAS Cadre.
became part of New Delhi construction
project as senior sub-contractors. The structure was completed and furnished bu 1911 as part of New Delhi City project. The house was named as Vyukunt, which was prominent landmark in New Delhi those time. As part of new British India constitution
, a chamber of princes was created in Indian Parilament to represent Indian Native princely states. As a result, it became a nessecity for Indian Princes to visit New Delhi to attend the proceedings and lend their voice and concerns. In 1920, the ruler of Kochi
, H.H Raja Rama Varma Maharaja of Kochi
purchased the beautiful Vyukunt from Sobha Singh
and refurbished as Cochin State Palace, to accommodate Kochi Maharaja and his officials during their New Delhi visits.
After Independence, when Kochi joined with India Union, the house became state property of Kerala Government and choose to make it as Kerala House, as permanent mission of the state to Central Government.
, managed by KTDC
. The house is administrated by Chief Controller of Kerala House, who reports to Hon. Resident Commissioner
The controller is assisted by Chief Administrative Officer and various section officers and assistants. The House has 3 major offices functioning
Liaison Wing is headed by the Liaison Officer and is assisted by seven Assistant Liaison Officers. This office is responsible for follow up and co-ordination of various matters/projects/schemes of Government of Kerala with Government of India including release of funds etc. This wing also looks after appointments of State Ministers and Officials with various Union Ministers and Officers.
M.Ps Cell
An M.Ps Cell is functioning in Kerala House to cater the official needs of M.Ps from Kerala. This Cell is also headed by Liaison Officer and is assisted by Assistant Liaison Officers.
Law Wing
A Law Wing headed by the Law Officer and assisted by an Assistant is functioning in Kerala House to effectively take up legal matters of Govt.of Kerala with the High Court, Supreme Court and other courts in Delhi.
PWD Wing
PWD Wing; headed by Assistant Executive Engineer and assisted by Assistant Engineer and Overseers is functioning in Kerala House for maintenance and repair works of Kerala House.
Information Office headed by the Deputy Director and assisted by Information Officer is functioning in Kerala House for co-ordination works with Media and to look after the PR activities of the State Govt including the conduct of various cultural programmes. This office organize press conferences and other media coverage activities for Chief Minister, State Ministers and other Govt. Programmes. Information office is also the co-ordinating agency for the state in major events like India International Trade Fair, Republic Day Parade etc.
Tourism Information Office
A Tourism Information Office headed by the Deputy Director and assisted by a Tourist Information Officer is functioning in Travancore Palace located at K.G Marg to cater the needs of tourists visiting Kerala.
Norka Cell
A Norka Cell
headed by the Additional Secretary and assisted by a Joint Secretary/Deputy Secretary and a NRK Development Officer is functioning in Travancore Palace, K.G.Marg to pursue and follow up issues relating to Non Resident Keralites with the various ministries of Government of India. NORKA wing facilitate attestation of certificates sent from various attestation centres of Kerala in various embassies. And also address the needs of Non-Resident Malayalees to the extend possible.
Malayala Bhasha Padana Kendram(Malayalam Learning Centre)
This is an ambitious project initiated jointly by various Malayali Associations in Delhi and Govt. of Kerala. The project envisages to impart Malayalam Literacy & Cultural heritage amongst the new generation of Malayalee community in Delhi and adjacent area. Central office of padana Kendra is established at Travancore Palace.
Cauvery Cell
Cauvery Cell of the Water Resources Department is functioning at the Travancore Palace basically to follow up the Cauvery Water Dispute with the Cauvery Tribunal. Now a days the cell is more engaged with the Mullaperiyar Dam issue
KSEB Liaison Office
This office liaises with concerned Central Ministries and offices on behalf of Kerala State Electricity Board.
Travancore House Art Gallery
Travancore House, located at K.G Marg was the erstwhile Palace of Travancore Kingdom in the heart of the Capital city. The building has been categorized as a heritage building by NDMC. The effort of the state government is to transform this heritage building in to a cultural complex and to be a window to Kerala for the out side world. As part of this perspective, an Art Gallery has been set up in the Travancore House.
The Guest House of Kerala House is basically meant for the stay of important personalities like Governor, Ministers, Judges, Elected Representatives and Govt. officials who are bound to Delhi for official purposes. If available, rooms are also allotted for their non-official visits and also to private individuals with proper references.
Government of Kerala
The Government of Kerala is a democratically elected body that governs the State of Kerala, India for a period of 5 years. The state government is headed by the Governor of Kerala as the nominal head of state, with a democratically elected Chief Minister as real head of the executive. The state...
at New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. As each state of India has to maintain a statutory representative and state mission house in the capital, to liaison with Central Government on behalf of state, Kerala House represents Kerala. The house belongs to Kerala Government, who is represented by Hon. Resident Commissioner of Kerala state administration. The house is located in heart of New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
city at Jantar Mandir Road. The current Resident commissioner is Shri Inder Jith Singh IAS, a senior official from Kerala IAS Cadre.
History
The house was originally built by Sujan Singh, a prominent Punjabi real estate builder based in New Delhi, as his private residence. In year 1911, when New Delhi was announced as capital of then-the British India, Sujan Singh and his son Sobha SinghSobha Singh (builder)
Sardar Bahadur Sir Sobha Singh, OBE was a civil contractor and a prominent builder of Lutyens' Delhi and real estate owner of Delhi.-Early life:...
became part of New Delhi construction
Lutyens' Delhi
Lutyens' Delhi is an area in Delhi, specifically New Delhi, India, named after the leading British architect Edwin Lutyens , who was responsible for much of the architectural design and building when India was part of the British Empire in the 1920s and 1930s...
project as senior sub-contractors. The structure was completed and furnished bu 1911 as part of New Delhi City project. The house was named as Vyukunt, which was prominent landmark in New Delhi those time. As part of new British India constitution
Government of India Act 1919
-See also:*British India*British Raj*History of Bangladesh*History of India*History of Pakistan*Governor-General of India*Government of India Act*India Office*Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms*Secretary of State for India...
, a chamber of princes was created in Indian Parilament to represent Indian Native princely states. As a result, it became a nessecity for Indian Princes to visit New Delhi to attend the proceedings and lend their voice and concerns. In 1920, the ruler of Kochi
Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin was a late medieval Hindu kingdom and later Princely State on the Malabar Coast, South India...
, H.H Raja Rama Varma Maharaja of Kochi
Rama Varma XVI
Sir Sri Rama Varma XVI was the ruler of the Kingdom of Cochin from 1915 to 1932.- Reign :Rama Varma XVI succeeded Rama Varma XV on his abdication in 1914. Rama Varma ruled from January 25, 1915 till his death on March 21, 1932...
purchased the beautiful Vyukunt from Sobha Singh
Sobha Singh (builder)
Sardar Bahadur Sir Sobha Singh, OBE was a civil contractor and a prominent builder of Lutyens' Delhi and real estate owner of Delhi.-Early life:...
and refurbished as Cochin State Palace, to accommodate Kochi Maharaja and his officials during their New Delhi visits.
After Independence, when Kochi joined with India Union, the house became state property of Kerala Government and choose to make it as Kerala House, as permanent mission of the state to Central Government.
Administration
The Kerala House belongs to Kerala State Public Works DepartmentDepartment of Public Works (Kerala)
Kerala Public Works Department is a department under the Government of Kerala, India. It manages the construction and maintenance of civil structures owned by the government viz; government buildings, government owned hospitals , roads, bridges etc...
, managed by KTDC
Kerala Tourism Development Corporation
The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation is a public sector undertaking that conducts and regulates the tourism activities of the Indian state of Kerala. The KTDC is headquartered at Thiruvanathapuram and has offices across all the districts of Kerala. The agency also operates hotels, resorts,...
. The house is administrated by Chief Controller of Kerala House, who reports to Hon. Resident Commissioner
The controller is assisted by Chief Administrative Officer and various section officers and assistants. The House has 3 major offices functioning
- The Office of Protocol Department, which has Chief Protocol Officer who oversees all protocols procedures accorded to state ministers and other officials while they visit New Delhi
- The Office of Liaison Department has 3 departments,
Liaison Wing is headed by the Liaison Officer and is assisted by seven Assistant Liaison Officers. This office is responsible for follow up and co-ordination of various matters/projects/schemes of Government of Kerala with Government of India including release of funds etc. This wing also looks after appointments of State Ministers and Officials with various Union Ministers and Officers.
M.Ps Cell
An M.Ps Cell is functioning in Kerala House to cater the official needs of M.Ps from Kerala. This Cell is also headed by Liaison Officer and is assisted by Assistant Liaison Officers.
Law Wing
A Law Wing headed by the Law Officer and assisted by an Assistant is functioning in Kerala House to effectively take up legal matters of Govt.of Kerala with the High Court, Supreme Court and other courts in Delhi.
PWD Wing
PWD Wing; headed by Assistant Executive Engineer and assisted by Assistant Engineer and Overseers is functioning in Kerala House for maintenance and repair works of Kerala House.
- The Office of Information and Public Relations
Information Office headed by the Deputy Director and assisted by Information Officer is functioning in Kerala House for co-ordination works with Media and to look after the PR activities of the State Govt including the conduct of various cultural programmes. This office organize press conferences and other media coverage activities for Chief Minister, State Ministers and other Govt. Programmes. Information office is also the co-ordinating agency for the state in major events like India International Trade Fair, Republic Day Parade etc.
Tourism Information Office
A Tourism Information Office headed by the Deputy Director and assisted by a Tourist Information Officer is functioning in Travancore Palace located at K.G Marg to cater the needs of tourists visiting Kerala.
Norka Cell
A Norka Cell
Non Resident Keralites Affairs
The Non Resident Keralites Affairs abbreviated as NORKA is a department of the Government of Kerala formed on 6 December 1996 to redress the grievances of Non-Resident Keralites . It is the first of its kind formed in any Indian state...
headed by the Additional Secretary and assisted by a Joint Secretary/Deputy Secretary and a NRK Development Officer is functioning in Travancore Palace, K.G.Marg to pursue and follow up issues relating to Non Resident Keralites with the various ministries of Government of India. NORKA wing facilitate attestation of certificates sent from various attestation centres of Kerala in various embassies. And also address the needs of Non-Resident Malayalees to the extend possible.
Malayala Bhasha Padana Kendram(Malayalam Learning Centre)
This is an ambitious project initiated jointly by various Malayali Associations in Delhi and Govt. of Kerala. The project envisages to impart Malayalam Literacy & Cultural heritage amongst the new generation of Malayalee community in Delhi and adjacent area. Central office of padana Kendra is established at Travancore Palace.
Cauvery Cell
Cauvery Cell of the Water Resources Department is functioning at the Travancore Palace basically to follow up the Cauvery Water Dispute with the Cauvery Tribunal. Now a days the cell is more engaged with the Mullaperiyar Dam issue
KSEB Liaison Office
This office liaises with concerned Central Ministries and offices on behalf of Kerala State Electricity Board.
Travancore House Art Gallery
Travancore House, located at K.G Marg was the erstwhile Palace of Travancore Kingdom in the heart of the Capital city. The building has been categorized as a heritage building by NDMC. The effort of the state government is to transform this heritage building in to a cultural complex and to be a window to Kerala for the out side world. As part of this perspective, an Art Gallery has been set up in the Travancore House.
Resident Commissioner
The Resident Commissioner is the head of all State Government Offices functioning in New Delhi. The Office of the Resident Commissioner, Kerala House, New Delhi was set up in the year 1964. There is an Additional Resident Commissioner in the rank of Secretary to Government of Kerala to assist the Resident Commissioner.Structure
The guest house in Kerala House constitutes of two Blocks. The Main Block having 33 rooms, including the three VIP Suits and Additional Block having 30 rooms. A 12 bed Dormitory at the old block (Cochin Palace) and a 48 bed Dormitory at Travancore House complex at Madhav Rao Scindia Marg are also attached to the Guest House.The Guest House of Kerala House is basically meant for the stay of important personalities like Governor, Ministers, Judges, Elected Representatives and Govt. officials who are bound to Delhi for official purposes. If available, rooms are also allotted for their non-official visits and also to private individuals with proper references.