Lalbagh additions: rock garden, musical fountain

Lalbagh additions: rock garden, musical fountain

Special Correspondent
Gate collection at Lalbagh last fiscal was Rs. 2.03 crore

Money from land sale to BMRCL will fund the projects

— File Photo

More to see:The proposed rock garden and musical fountain at Lalbagh are expected to increase revenue.
Bangalore: The State Government has prepared a blueprint for developing a rock garden and a musical fountain at the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens in Bangalore.

Addressing presspersons here on Tuesday, Minister for Horticulture and Prisons Umesh Katti said the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, the Bangalore Development Authority and his department would jointly undertake both projects at a cost of Rs. 65 crore, and work would commence soon.

The rock garden would cost Rs. 30 crore, he said. The musical fountain would come up at the lake in Lalbagh. Both projects are expected to fetch additional revenue for the State in the coming days.

The gate collection at Lalbagh Botanical Gardens during the last financial year was Rs. 2.03 crore, Mr. Katti said.

Prototypes

Experts in the field of architecture and sculptures would be consulted before work on the rock garden begins.

It would be developed along the lines of the rock garden in Chandigarh, the Nek Chand's rock garden.

The musical fountain would be modelled like a fountain in Singapore, the Minister said.

Asked how the department would mobilise funds for the projects, the Minister said the amount earned through the sale of Lalbagh land to Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. would be utilised for the purpose.

He added that the Centre had agreed to release Rs. 152 crore to the department under the National Horticultural Mission in 2010-11.

It has also been decided to utilise Rs. 500 crore for a plantation programme under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act this year.

As much as Rs. 120 crore has already been spent under the job scheme for the plantation programme.

On jails

He said jails located in cities would be shifted to the outskirts in Davangere, Shimoga, Bellary, Chikmagalur, Dharwad and Bijapur, and that Rs. 40 crore would be spent on construction of new jails.