PRIVATE-PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP: Sangita Jindal (left) of the Jindal South West Foundation exchanging a file with Usha Ganesh, Secretary, Kannada and Culture Department, after Hampi Foundation entered into a memorandum of understanding with the State Gove rnment to restore the Sri Chandramouleshwara Temple in Hampi to its original glory, in Bangalore on Tuesday. Deputy Chief Minister M.P. Prakash and Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh look on. — Photo: K. Murali Kumar

BANGALORE: The State Government has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Hampi Foundation for the conservation of the historic Sri Chandramouleshwara Temple at the Hampi World Heritage site at an estimated expenditure Rs. 2. 21 crores.

Principal Secretary of Kannada and Culture Department Usha Ganesh and Chairperson of Jindal South West Foundation, parent unit of Hampi Foundation, Sangita Jindal, signed the MoU here on Tuesday.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Ganesh said that the State has evolved a new public-private partnership scheme for preserving and conserving heritage sites and monuments. Under the scheme, the State has already signed a memorandum of understanding with the Sri Dharmasthala Dharmothana Trust. The Trust has so far restored 21 monuments across the State at an expenditure of Rs. 196.92 lakhs she said.

There are over 1,300 such sites and monuments spread across the State. Of them, 700 monuments and heritage sites have been under the direct care of the State Government and the rest are under the Archaeological Survey of India. In this context, the public-private partner ship scheme would help in bringing in many heritage sites under proper care, she said.

Hampi Foundation, in collaboration with the San Francisco based Global Heritage Fund, has started the groundwork for the conservation under guidance of Abha Lambah, an expert in the field. The foundation has plans to take up the famous Sri Krishna temple after the completion of the restoration of Chandramouleshwara temple, she explained.

Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh and Deputy Chief Minister M.P. Prakash reiterated that the Government is not averse to private participation in its development in some of the vital areas, including heritage site conservation.

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