Mayor B L Bhyrappa said that the city houses hundreds of heritage structures, with unique aesthetic value, and hence a heritage authority is needed for their conservation.
He said that the condition of many heritage structures in the city are not good, so it is a challenge to maintain heritage structures and thus a separate body, an authority, could help take up restoration works of such structures.
Bhyrappa was addressing the gathering during the inauguration of the newly-constructed classrooms at the Government Bifurcated Maharaja’s PU College in Nazarbad on Saturday.
Later, speaking to Deccan Herald, the Mayor said that though the Archaeology, Museums and Heritage department exists, they conduct studies and research and they can take up restoration works only if they get special grants.
“The governments - Centre and the state- do not earmark funds for conservation or restoration works. The authority must have heritage experts and an IAS officer,” he said.
Commissioner for Archaeology, Museums and Heritage C G Betsurmath said that the proposal for a heritage authority is long-pending, but, it cannot be established as the Archaeology, Museums and Heritage department already exists.
He said, “The city has 200 heritage structures. About 80 structures are housing government offices, including the Deputy Commissioner’s office, Cheluvamba Mansion (Central Food and Technological Research Institute).”
The commissioner said that the department takes up restoration works on heritage structures if it gets funds.
“The department has taken up works on 17 structures in city with Rs 100 crore under the Chief Minister’s special grants. The works on Lansdowne Building, Devaraja Market and other structures are under progress. The department has restored the Mounted Police building last year with the funds provided by the police department,” he added.
The responsibility of the department is to identify and implement heritage programmes. It is also entrusted with the task of developing such places as heritage areas through various programmes like identifying heritage buildings on the basis of their historical, architectural, environmental and ecological values and grading them.
This apart, the department has to take up programmes of heritage conservation in association with public and private bodies.