CS to head Bengaluru Heritage and Environment Trust

Chief Secretary (CS) P Ravi Kumar is likely to replace Startup Karnataka Vision Group chairman Prashanth Prakash as Bengaluru Heritage and Environment Trust (BHET) head.

Seven senior IAS officers of different departments, including the Commerce and Industries Department, will be the ex-officio members of the trust. The entity will also have five private individuals as trustees, according to sources

The administration preferred the CS for the top position as Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was reportedly not in favour of private individuals running the trust set up by the government.

Registered in July 2021, the trust is mandated to convert 105-acre land owned by the New Government Electrical Factory (NGEF) into a public space on the lines of Cubbon Park and redevelop the Mysore Lamps factory at Malleshwaram.

B S Yediyurappa had announced these proposals as part of Bengaluru Mission 2022 programme when he was the chief minister. With officials taking control over the trust, these proposals are likely to gain some momentum.

The new body will conceptualise and implement the proposals. It will also monitor routine operations and maintenance once the proposals turn into a
reality.

The trust is likely to receive initial investment from the state government. It also is expected to raise funds from private firms under corporate social responsibility (CRS) initiative, added the
sources.

The trustees are yet to be chosen as the government is yet to share details of the trust. Earlier, the Mysore Lamps factory was proposed to house a museum, recreational space and cultural hub. The NGEF land was to turn into a public space with a convention centre. The detailed project reports (DPR) of the proposals are almost complete, said the sources.

S Raghu, MLA of C V Raman Nagar Assembly constituency, under whose limits the NGEF land falls, hoped that the proposals would soon take off.

“Over 100-acre NGEF land should be redeveloped or conserved on the lines of Cubbon Park or Freedom Park. A large part of the lung space should be left by allowing access to the public. I am confident that the project will be taken up at the earliest,” he said.