BENGALURU: The authorities of University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering, Bengaluru, have decided to approach the state government seeking Rs 100 crore to retain the heritage structure of the campus. Following the request submitted by the college authorities, Bangalore University has constituted a committee of architects and engineers to provide the estimation. Once the report is ready, the request will be forwarded to the government along with the estimation report. According to UVCE authorities, they are expecting the funds to be announced in the 2018 state budget.
During the 2017 state budget, the government announced `25 crore to UVCE for centenary celebration. The fund was released and Bangalore University constituted a committee to utilise that fund. Prof K R Venugopal, principal of the college, said, “As a majority of buildings in the campus are of heritage structure, we need to retain them.
The amount provided by the government will not be sufficient for repair works. We have therefore decided to submit a request to the government for an additional `100 crore in the 2018 state budget for UVCE.” UVCE is celebrating its centenary year now. As per the information available from college authorities, they want to retain the heritage structure of the campus like High Court and Mayo Hall.
“Starting from the front portion of the college which houses the present principal’s chamber, staff room, electrical department laboratory and some of the classrooms are heritage structures. We need to repair the building without harming those structures,” a college authority explained.
PLACES OF HISTORICAL INTEREST
The present mechanical engineering block was a horse stable during the British era
The place where UVCE is established was a proposed tram station during the British rule
Established as School of Mechanical Engineering in 1913, it later became an engineering college
Another issue
Despite the completion of trifurcation of Bangalore University, the state government has not said a word about which university UVCE belongs to. Recently, the state higher education department issued an order dividing the properties of the parent Bangalore University among the three universities. But, there is no mention about UVCE in that order. Meanwhile, there is a demand to declare UVCE as autonomous institute instead of affiliating it to any university.