QUEEN’S ROAD: Six tourist destinations across the state, including Lalbagh, Venkatappa Art Gallery and the city’s Government Museum, will soon be adopted by private organisations under their CSR schemes.
Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC), Tasveer Foundation and Jindal Foundation will fund and ensure maintenance of the three spaces respectively, while the Government continues to own them.
The other three tourist hotspots finalised for the scheme Belur-Halebidu (Cafe Coffee Day), Kavala Caves in Dandeli (West Coast Paper Mills) and Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary (Sandur Manganese and Iron Ores).
Biocon’s proposal to adopt Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological has been pending.
“We have been requesting corporates to adopt tourist destinations. They have to spend a minimum of 2 per cent of their profits on maintenance,” R V Deshpande, Minister of Tourism and Industry told City Express. He said that the main objective of the scheme would be to ensure cleanliness of the destinations.
Horticulture Deputy Director J Gunavantha said the department had submitted a list of projects, estimated to cost `8 crore, to BCIC.
The tri-patriate agreement will involve the department concerned with the tourist spot, the Tourism Department and the corporate firm. The department also has the liberty to terminate the agreement if things do not go according to plan, he said.