New Delhi, December 21: Far from its usual assignments of demolition and  scrappingof illegal structures, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)  has begun a new venture — heritage conservation.

Inaugurating the MCD’s Heritage Society with Mayor A.R. Verma at Qudsia  Bagh this afternoon, Commissioner Rakesh Mehta said conservation work  will begin from its present headquarters, the Town Hall. ‘‘This is one  of the important decisions taken at the meeting on the recommendation of  the Mayor. INTACH will come up with a plan to conserve Town Hall and we  will begin work soon after,’’said Mehta.

“The society will have its head office at Qudsia Bagh and will be in  charge of coordinating all heritage and conservation activity taken up  by the MCD. It will also form a bridge between the MCD and DDA, Delhi  Urban Arts Commission, DTTDC etc,” he added.

The society will also for the first time develop an empanelled list of  20-25 conservation architects for all projects. ‘‘The MCD will pass  plans for conservation, redevelopment or alterations in such structures  which are privately owned only if the plans have been passed by a  conservation architect on this panel,’’ said Mehta.

The Heritage Society will create a task force to undertake the  conservation of listed heritage buildings of Chandni Chowk owned by the  Government, by various Trusts and some privately owned heritage  buildings. Convener of the Delhi Chapter of INTACH O.P.Jain who is on  the 10 member committee of the Society, said: ‘‘We have been entrusted  with the job of developing plans for conserving heritage buildings in  Chandni Chowk and Walled City area by the MCD.”

Jain added that the Society will take up conservation of privately-owned  heritage buildings on a pilot basis. ‘‘We will allow owners to convert a  part of their property into a commercial establishment such as the  running of a guesthouse or a restaraunt as long as the building is  conserved,’’ said Jain.

As many as 23 buildings in Chandni Chowk have already been identified,  he said.