Five years, four CMs later, Kempegowda centre still unborn

BENGALURU: Five years after its foundation laying ceremony and four chief ministers later, the Kempegowda Research Centre at Jnanabharathi Campus of Bangalore University is yet to see the light of day. Since 2017 — when the foundation stone was laid — four Chief Ministers and three governments have changed, but nothing has happened on the ground to realise the project for which Rs 50 crore was sanctioned by the state government through the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

The initiative was taken by the ministers from the dominant Vokkaliga community when the Congress was in power in the state under Siddaramaiah’s chief ministership, and the delay in taking it forward has not gone down well with the community leaders in Congress as well as the ruling BJP. Sources said the issue is set to come up for discussion ahead of Kempegowda Jayanthi celebrations on June 27.

The proposed centre entails a building with architectural aesthetics from the outside, 1500-seating capacity air-conditioned mega auditorium, a museum space including a digital section, exhibition hall, board rooms, seminar halls and many more. It was even planned to include rainwater harvesting and solar lighting in its design, besides a pond representing Nadaprabhu Kempegowda’s construction of tanks in Bengaluru during his regime. But none of it has materialised.

The foundation laying ceremony was done by Sri Nirmalananda Swamy of Adichunchungiri Mutt in September 2017. Presently, there is a Kempegowda Centre for Humanities and Social Science under Bangalore University. But it does not have its own building, instead it works out of another department

Rs 50 cr sanctioned five years ago

In 2017, the then Congress government initiated Kempegowda Research and Study Centre, which was a joint venture between BBMP and Bangalore University, while the three-acre land at Jnanabharathi campus belongs to Bangalore University, for which the sum of Rs 50 crore was sanctioned.

Prof Shaik Masthan N, who also heads the centre, said a Bengaluru-based company had designed the structure which was presented before many dignitaries and got an approval. “The land identified had 34 eucalyptus trees. After more than a year, we got the approval from the Forest Department to cut the trees. But that was not the end as shrubs grew in their place. Since then, we have called JCB to clear the shrubs and maintain the land,’’ he said.

He further said that in 2021, when BS Yediyurappa was Chief Minister, the state government initiated construction work and conducted pooja. The BBMP had called for tenders twice and finally a Bengaluru-based company was selected as the bidder in 2021. But even today the work order has not been issued. “When we ask the BBMP, they point to the Urban Development Department, which in turn points to the CM’s office. We are academicians, we do not know how it works. But I am not happy with the delays,” Prof Masthan said.