A CORRESPONDENT
DIBRUGARH: The ambitious Dr John Berry White Medical School Heritage Site and Museum project in Dibrugarh remains in limbo more than seven years after its inception, despite the implementing agency claiming completion and readiness for handover to district authorities.
On January 10, 2018, Oil India Limited (OIL) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) to transform the dilapidated 125-year-old Dr John Berry White Medical School building into a heritage site and museum. The project, sanctioned at a cost of Rs 2.1 crore, was originally scheduled for completion within 15 months.
However, recent revelations through a Right to Information (RTI) reply (dated July 7) obtained by The Sentinel have exposed significant procedural delays that continue to prevent the project's inauguration. According to the RTI response, while INTACH has completed the restoration work and expressed readiness to hand over the site to the Dibrugarh district administration, a mandatory joint inspection remains pending.
The inspection, which should involve officials from PWD (B), PWD (E), OIL authority, and a technical representative from INTACH, has been stalled due to INTACH's failure to provide the required plan and estimate with accorded technical sanction. This procedural gap has created an administrative deadlock that has persisted for months.
Official sources revealed that INTACH attempted to transfer the project to district authorities in January 2025, but the district administration declined to accept it without the mandatory joint inspection.
"The district administration cannot accept the project until all procedural requirements are met and a thorough inspection is conducted," an official source said.
The delay has also brought to light serious allegations regarding the project's execution. Allegations have been levelled that the contract was given to a local contractor without any advertisement and the contractor charged heavy prices for the materials used for the renovation of Berry White Medical School.
Sources also alleged that the local contractor, who carried out the restoration work, committed numerous irregularities and failed to adhere to technical specifications.
"There are serious concerns about the quality of work and adherence to technical standards. The contractor's billing practices appear questionable, and this needs thorough investigation," said a source familiar with the project details.
The funding for the heritage initiative came from multiple sources. While OIL provided the primary funding of Rs 2.1 crore, Brahmaputra Crackers and Polymer Limited (BCPL) contributed an additional Rs 15 lakh specifically for constructing the boundary wall of the museum complex.
The heritage site honours Dr John Berry White, a British surgeon who arrived in Assam in 1858 at the age of 24 years and served Upper Assam for 24 years. Rising from assistant surgeon to civil surgeon of Lakhimpur district, White's most remarkable contribution came upon his retirement in 1882, when he donated his entire life savings of fifty thousand rupees to establish a medical school in Dibrugarh.
This generous donation, estimated to be worth Rs 10 million in today's currency, led to the establishment of the medical school in 1900, four years after White's death in London. The institution became a cornerstone of medical education in Northeast India and later paved the way for the prestigious Assam Medical College in 1947.
The continued delay in opening this heritage site represents not only a loss of historical preservation opportunity but also a missed chance to honour the legacy of a man whose philanthropy shaped medical education in the region. As the project enters its eighth year of uncertainty, stakeholders and the public continue to await resolution of the administrative hurdles that have prevented this significant heritage initiative from reaching fruition.
Also Read: India’s tea production increases by 37.44 million kg in May 2025
Also Watch: