Citizens oppose construction on Cubbon Park premises

The INTACH organisation and 'Heritage Beku', a group of citizens, have opposed the PWD's plan to build seven-storied annexe building of High Court of Karnataka on Cubbon Park premises.

INTACH convenor Meera Iyer and co-convenor Aravind Chandramohan; members of 'Heritage Beku' group Nupur Basu and Priya Chetty Rajgopal; environmentalists Bimal Desai and H R Murali held a meeting at press club on Tuesday.

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They told reporters that the citizens of Bengaluru are struggling to save the greenery of the city, including the Cubbon Park and Lalbagh, since a decade. If the court building comes up on the premises of Cubbon Park, other departments and institutions will also knock the door of the court for construction, engulfing the historical park.

They said they would soon meet Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and request him to stop the construction in the park. If the government cannot stop the construction activities, we will look at legal efforts, they said.

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Protest planned

The Cubbon Park Walkers' Association president, S Umesh, said the walkers would hold symbolic agitation in front of the old State Election Commissioner's building, which is proposed to be demolished for the new building.

Freedom fighter H S Doreyswamy and other eminent personalities will take part in the protest. The association will also take up a legal battle against any kind construction on the premises of Cubbon Park, he added.

The High Court order is as follows: