Cubbon Park pruned, but for a reason

BENGALURU: Several heritage buildings, all in need of a facelift but stalled by an archaic piece of legislation, were taken off the limits of Cubbon park by the cabinet on Wednesday.  

The list of such buildings includes the Karnataka High Court, Vidhana Soudha, the Legislators' Home, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), office of Director General and Inspector General of Police, and all government buildings along Nrupathunga road.

The upshot: the total area of Cubbon Park would shrink from 192.1 acres to 100 acres. Originally, the verdant park was spread over 100 acres but the periphery was extended to 192.1 acres in order to add some of the surrounding areas.

The state government encountered legal problems, sometimes even courtroom battles, whenever efforts were initiated to renovate these buildings. Therefore, the cabinet took a decision to exclude these buildings from the limits of the park, according to official sources.  

Sources said the state government would constitute a committee comprising the chief secretary, horticulture secretary and others to oversee renovation of these buildings, whenever necessary. Though these buildings have been taken off the limits of Cubbon park, the area around each of them, however, would continue to form a part of the sprawling park.