Historical town of Badami in Bagalkot district of Karnataka will be developed into a tourist town under the Union government’s flagship programme HRIDAY (Heritage City Development Scheme). The Union government has already granted Rs 22.26 crore as a first step in the implementation of the scheme.
The Union government has selected some 12 such ancient cities in the country to develop by providing better amenities. Bagalkot district in-charge minister S R Patil announced this at a meeting held to discuss the development plan of the town under the scheme.
The city would be developed and facilities would be created with the help of INTACH (Indian National Trust of Art and Cultural Heritage) which would share its expertise in executing the project.
“Following the inclusion of Badami under the project, the district administration was asked to prepare a project report and provide the funds required for it. Though the district administration had submitted a proposal of Rs 37 crore, the Union government has agreed to grant Rs 22.26 crore,” said Patil.
He said that a detailed project report would soon be prepared by eliciting the opinion of experts on preparing a report and the final report would be given to INTACH.
The minister said that the objective of the scheme is to preserve and protect the culture and heritage of the city.
Before implementing the project, the local residents would also be taken into confidence to make sure that the project is best implemented by considering every aspect.
INTACH has already prepared the modalities for developing cities, including Amritsar in Punjab, Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and Puri in Odisha and has started work with Puri as a model for the project.
P C Gaddigoudar, the MP who has been working with the Union Government to get the project approved, asserted that he would strive to get more funds, if required.
