From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, May 18: Bangalore’s famous and historical Lalbagh Botanical Garden’s Rock Garden and Musical Fountain is proposed to be developed at a cost of Rs 65 crore.

The entire make-work on the rock garden and the musical fountain, which is a major tourist attraction in the famed garden city, is proposed to be taken up jointly b y the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, Bangalore Development Authority as well as the state horticulture department.

Karnataka’s horticulture minister Umesh V Katti, who disclosed this information at a news conference in Bangalore on Tuesday, said the work on both the projects would begin shortly.

He indicated that a sum of Rs 30 crore would be spent on the rock garden and Rs 35 
crore on the musical fountain. The musical fountain would be developed  at the lake in the Gardens.

Apart from attracting tourists to the gardens, both projects would also fetch more revenue to the State in the coming days, the minister said pointing out that there will be substantial spin-off benefits.

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

He said experts in the filed of architecture and sculptures would be consulted before commencement of the work on the rock garden. It would be developed on the rock garden in Chandigarh, also known as Nek Chand’s Rock Garden.

The musical fountain would be developed on the lines of the one located in Singapore, the Minister said.

Asked how the department would mobilise funds to develop two projects, the minister said the amount earned though the sale of part of the land belonging to Lalbagh Gardens to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited would be utilised for projects.

The Centre has agreed to release Rs 152 crore to the department under  the National Horticultural Mission in 2010-11 and it was decided to  utilise Rs 500 crore for plantation programme under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Scheme in the current year.

A sum of Rs 120 crore was spent under the job scheme for the plantation programme.

Katti, who is also the minister in charge of prisons, said jails located in cities would be shifted to outskirts in Davangere, Shimoga, Bellary, Chikmagalur, Dharwad and Bijapur, he said pointing out that Rs 40 crore would be spent on construction of new jails in districts.