Karnataka - Hassan   

Regional Art Centre project yet to take off

By Our Staff Correspondent

HASSAN, MARCH 23. The ambitious project of the Karnataka Lalitkala Academy (KLA) to set up a Regional Art Centre in Hassan, sanctioned by the Central Lalitkala Akademi (CLA), is yet to take off.

However, the appointment of M.B. Basavaraj as the new chairman of the KLA has raised the hopes of artists.

The former chairman of the KLA, Peter Lewis, had appealed to the CLA to set up the centre in Hassan. He had justified his choice of the place by citing the architectural splendour of the district. According to Mr. Lewis, the CLA had plans to set up a centre either in Shimoga or Kumta. However, honouring the sentiment of the people and conceding historical and architectural importance of the district, the KLA agreed to set up a centre in Hassan.

Site

After getting approval from the CLA, the process of finding a site for the centre began in July 2001. A delegation led by Mr. Lewis met the then Deputy Commissioner, L.K. Atheeq, and urged him to find a suitable site. Mr. Atheeq suggested two sites — one adjacent to the Karnataka Milk Federation's cattle-feed plant and another abutting the Channapatnakere. However, the artists' community selected the site adjacent to the cattle-feed plant, because of its proximity to the National Highway. The former Minister of State for Kannada and Culture, Rani Satish, approved the site.

Sanction

The trouble started when the Government decided to acquire the land approved for the centre to build a truck terminus. However, the land was saved because of the intervention of Congress leaders in the district. Subsequently, the Revenue Department sanctioned 10 acres of land in survey nos. 71 and 72 at Channapatna village to the Department of Kannada and Culture for the purpose.

Speaking to The Hindu , the Assistant Director of the Department of Kannada and Culture, Chandrappa, said that the department has acquired the land allotted for the centre and received title deeds and the process of mutation has been completed.

According Mr. Lewis, though a proposal seeking Rs. 3.40 lakhs was sent to the Department of Kannada and Culture to fence the land, the department failed to respond favourably. A member of KLA disclosed that the department had "misplaced" the proposal once and another proposal was sent. But the response is still unfavourable.

Mr. Chandrappa said that the department expressed its helplessness owing to paucity of funds. According to Mr. Lewis, the Development Commissioner, Chiranjeev Singh, also took an interest in the project and urged the authorities in the department in this regard. However his plea also failed in attracting attention.

Plan

A plan to build a 500-seat theatre, an open-air auditorium, a folk art museum, an art and sculpture museum, an art gallery of international standards, a library, a mini-cinema auditorium, a lecture hall, conference room, studios, and a guest house has been prepared by Kanade, a well-known architect. The plan is now with the department.

The members of the KLA had suggested the department to form a trust to promote the project. Subsequently, the academy sent a draft proposal to form an 11-member trust to the department. The department wanted the secretary of the department as the chairman of the proposed trust. However, the authorities did not fulfil their promise of convening a meeting to finalise the trust. There was a plan to invite a team of experts from Bhubaneswar, Nagpur, and New Delhi, which did not materialise, sources said.

The Registrar of the KLA, Muniraju, said that Mr. Lewis corresponded directly with the local bodies in Hassan. The people of Hassan, who are extending support for setting up the centre, are now disappointed with the delay. The Zilla Samskritika Vedike is also making efforts for establishing the centre.

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Regional Art Centre project yet to take off

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