'BUILDINGS. No. 4/13 I Correspondence regarding Surgeon's quarters.' [‎150r] (301/510)

No. .
Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. ,
Kuwait,
28tin August, 1944
TO
The Secretary to the Hon’ble the
Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the
Persian Oulf, Bushire.
Sir,
.14
I h£ve the honour to invite a reference to my predecessor’s
letter No.692-4/13 dated the 5th June on the subject of a house for
the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. Assistant Surgeon and Quarantine Medical Officer in
Kuwait, and to say that for the last eight years the Assistant
Surgeon has lived in a house built for him by one Mohammed Thunniyan,
a merchant of Kuwait, and rented by the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. on a verbal agreement
years, but has recently returned to settle. He now requires the
house for his own residence, and has given the Assistant Surgeon
notice to vacate the house by 31st March, 1945. All attempts to
induce the landlord to reconsider his decision have failed.
3. Since the notice was received one Political Aguit and the
Assistant Surgeon have been exercised trying to find another house
for the latter; but, up to the time of writing, no house that is
remotely suitable or that could be made suitable without entire
rebuilding and refitting has been found. Indeed, with the exception
of those houses already occupied by the European and American
communities here - all of which were either built or altered
especially for them -, there are no houses in Kuwait which are
suitable for European habitation without considerable structural
alteration and fitting out. Moreover, in the acute housing shortage
at present prevailing in Kuwait, there are no liouses available
which are suitable for alteration.
4. If they are to retain an Assistant Surgeon in Kuwait,
therefore, there would appear to be two alternatives open to the
Government of India; either they must themselves build a house for
the Assistant Surgeon, or someone must be found to build one for
lease to him. In either case it will be nece sary for the Government
of India to make available from India or the United Kingdom the
necessary cement; iron girders; wood; door and window frames; glass;
water tanxs and piping; bath room fittings; electrical wiring,
fittings, lights, and fans; nails, screws, hinges, and locks; wire
gauze; and paint.
5. Preliminary enquiries show that it is improbable that anyone
but Pis Highness the Shaikh will be able or willing to make available
a suitable site, or to build a suitable house for the Assistant
Sur eon. If His Highness proves willing to provide a site and to
build a house, he will almost certainly require the Government of
India to supply the necessary imported materials at their expense,
although he may be willing to pay for them in whole or in part through
an adjustment in the annual rental. Such has been the prociice in
respect of certain houses previously constructed by His Highness for
the employees of British Companies here.'
6. It is fully appreciated that the present is not the most
opportune time to build houses. Perusal of Colonel Moore’s letter
No.384/4/7 of the 12th July, 1924, however, of which a copy is
enclosed, will show that this is no new problem; and, unless the
Assistant Surgeon is to be made the victim of it, it w r ould appear
that the Government o'f India cannot escape reaping the results of
their neglect in the past. Had they chosen to build at any time
within the past twenty years the Government of India would not now
be at the mercy of a landlord. Whatever the views of the Goverm ent
for a rental
to Ra. 1200/- pex- aimum
annum which has recently been increased
2
Mohammed Thunniyan was absent from Kuwait for a number of
of/