Mysuru: Thanks to the apathy of the department of archaeology, museums and heritage and the urban development department, 201 historic structures in Mysuru have not got the heritage tag yet.
These structures are neither under the protection of urban local bodies nor the heritage department. Reason: Even though it has been a decade since the Heritage experts committee identified 201 buildings in Mysuru, the department of heritage, archaeology and museums is yet to send the proposal to the department of Kannada and culture to declare them as heritage buildings.
It was in 2012 that the department of Heritage, Archaeology and Museums (DHAM) proposed an amendment to section 13 E of Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act 1961 in order to have necessary rules to declare heritage buildings, and also give powers to urban local bodies to declare heritage buildings, conserve and protect them. But the proposed bill is still pending with the Urban development ministry for clearance.
In 2004, Karnataka declared six cities including Mysuru as Heritage Cities. A district level heritage experts committee was constituted under the chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner, Mysuru District, to identify heritage buildings. The norm was to identify buildings built before 1955 with architectural features and historic value.
The experts identified 235 structures as heritage buildings in Mysuru, and 201 buildings were shortlisted in 2006. The department of heritage, archaeology and museums is yet to send the list of those 201 buildings in Mysuru to the Principal Secretary, Department of Kannada and Culture to declare them as heritage buildings.
Once the Department of Kannada and Culture clears the file, the state government is supposed to declare them as heritage buildings. Once that is done, the responsibility of protecting and conserving heritage buildings come under department of heritage archaeology and museums, sources said.
When Deccan Chronicle contacted, the newly appointed Commissioner of DHAM, Dr Manjula N, she said, “It had not come to my notice. I am directing the deputy director of our department to forward the file to the government for declaring 201 historic structures as Heritage buildings. I will also write to the Urban Development Ministry regarding the proposed amendment to section 13 E of Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act 1961,” she said.
After much delay, MCC had taken up the restoration works of 124 year old Lansdowne building at a cost of Rs 2.75 crore and the 120 year-old-Devraja market at a cost of Rs 8.8 Crore. But the works have been stopped after a portion of Devraja market collapsed recently. “A new committee will be constituted to study whether to restore the building or build a new one,” an officer at Mysuru City Corporation said
