Construction of government buildings lags far behind…

Construction of government buildings lags far behind commercial buildings in the early years because of the lack of tax-generated revenue.

The merchants resist any attempts by Calcutta to levy duties on trade, and the British East India Company had little interest in increasing the colony's budget.

Since 1833, however, many public works projects have been constructed by the extensive use of Indian convict labor.

Irish architect George Drumgold Coleman, who had been appointed superintendent of public works in that year, uses convicts to drain marshes, reclaim seafront, lay out roads, and build government buildings, churches, and homes in a graceful colonial style.