Jorhat, Sept 8: For 112 years, Jorhat’s iconic red-brick “Ronga Bhawan” has stood witness to history, from the colonial administration of Upper Assam and the tumultuous years of Independence to generations of political and social change. Now, as the district administration prepares to move out, the historic building is set to fall silent as a working District Commissioner’s office.

For Jorhat District Commissioner Jay Shivani, the transition carries a rare personal coincidence - he will be the last DC to serve from the historic building and the first to begin work from the new integrated District Commissioner’s office at Cinnamara. “It’s a matter of pride and coincidence for me that I will be the last DC serving in the historic old building and the first to start work in the new,” Shivani said, acknowledging the deep public attachment to the structure.

Construction of the new integrated office at Cinnamara is nearly complete, and the administration expects to begin functioning from the complex within September. While an exact inauguration date is yet to be announced, the shifting process is already underway.

“The old records of all the branches under the office have already been shifted. The day-to-day running files are being handled from the old office,” the DC said.

The transition, however, involves more than moving furniture and files. The historic building houses records dating back nearly 200 years, requiring the administration to undertake what Shivani described as a responsible and scientific process of shifting.

“It’s a historic heritage building housing nearly 200-year-old records. The shift has to be responsible and scientific so that we don’t misplace a single record,” he said.

The history of the building dates back to 1911, when Jorhat was declared the administrative headquarters of the undivided Sivasagar district. The headquarters was shifted from Rangpur to Jorhat in 1912 under Major A.

Playfair, while the British completed construction of the present Victorian-style building in 1914. Popularly known as Ronga Bhawan or Ranga Ghar, the red-brick structure became an important centre of administration in Upper Assam and remained closely associated with Jorhat’s civic identity.

After Jorhat became a separate district on July 1, 1983, the building served as the office of the District Commissioner. Advocate Dhubrajyoti Baruah said the structure carried immense emotional significance for the people of Jorhat.