"There is no proposal to demolish or alter Balabrooie. The discussion to have a legislators' club on the lines of the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi has been going on for 10 years. The government has not taken any decision yet on where to have it,'' Siddaramaiah told STOI.
- - - Meanwhile, sources in the department of archaeology, museums and heritage (AMH) said Balabrooie, despite being a 150-year-old structure, is not listed as a heritage site. "As many as 772 monuments in Karnataka come under AMH, not Balabrooie. Hence, it is vulnerable. If it has to get the tag, the government has to notify it and call for objections from the public,'' they added.
Former law minister S Suresh Kumar told reporters that 257 legislators had paid Rs 10,000 each to get enrolled as members of the proposed club. "At that point in time (when the BJP held office), we never thought the possibility of the structure being demolished would arise. In the background of the public outcry, the government should consider their request.''
For the full text of the report in the ToI, click
here.
I was at the silent demo in front of Balbrooie this morning. With the rains subsiding, there was a sizable crowd of largely Civil Society activists, including from B-PAC.
A small group led by Naresh Narasihman apparently met the Assembly Speaker Sri Kagodu Thimmappa, who is supposed to have told them that though the CM had orally agreed to convert the premises into a club (legislators' club on the lines of the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi), now that the Civil Society was up in arms, perhaps the matter has to be reviewed.
All in all, though the existing buildings may remain protected, there's as yet no ruling out the place being converted into a club, with the attendant damage to the trees, apart from the heritage sanctity.
We in Praja-RAAG have been considering going for a PIL. The talk evolved along the following lines:
An involved member suggested as below:
We have to approach this from a larger perspective, that is (a) environment (b) heritage and test the right of State to use any property owned by it in a manner not in the larger interest of public. The properties we have to take ( which have been on a cloud due to State action), are (just ex.)
1. Turf Club
2. Jakkur
3. Any other place
4. Nandi Hills
5. Cubbon Park
6. Lalbagh
7. Ravindra Kalakshetra
8. Library in Cubbon Park
We have to seek directions from HC (until a policy is in place by State) as to how such lands need to be used in public interest and safeguards . If we approach it in a narrow perspective, the HC may say that it is State property and right to use. Lets start by getting a list of properties , we think are important that define the city and WE NEED TO GET A COPY OF THE ORDER OF THE STATE RE THE GUESTHOUSE. WHAT IS ITS HISTORY AND HOW IS IT RELEVANT TO THE CITIZENS?
I added as below:
Yes, I feel this is the right approach. I had started a blog along these lines a few years back - it's linked below:
The matter has to have city wide scope, and not just limited to Balabrooie.
I gave an interview to TimesTV, and Mr Manu Aiyappa of ToI, too.
The question that arises is now that both the CM and the Speaker are looking at reviewing the matter, and are perhaps prepared for a dialogue, can we possibly work jointly to set up a body, say like the New York Design Trust, referred to by Namma renowned architect, Sri Prem Chandavarkar, once earlier when a similar issue came up (check debate linked above), to cover all such existing and future public properties and spaces?
Muralidhar Rao
ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆಗಳು
talk thereafter
I believe even UB city shall
I believe even UB city shall get heritage status. Siddu Siddu Zindabad.
public spaces and aesthetics