The Hindu : Demolition of shops leads to tension

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 22, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mysore

Demolition of shops leads to tension

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, FEB. 21. Tension prevailed at Chamundi Hills when more than 500 people staged a demonstration in protest against the bulldozing of 10 petty shops on Saturday. It is said that the reason for the demolition is the visit of the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, who is scheduled to inaugurate a guesthouse and other infrastructure facilities for tourists and pilgrims on Sunday.

The demonstrators said most of them had acquired licences for their shops from the authorities concerned, but the staff from the Mysore City Corporation demolished the shops though the civic body had no jurisdiction over Chamundi Hills which is a revenue village under a gram panchayat. Though senior police officials, including the Commissioner of Police Bipin Gopalkrishna, visited the spot to alleviate the tension, the demonstrators demanded that the Deputy Commissioner, Kumar G. Naik, arrive at the spot.

They threatened to smear the new guesthouse with cow dung in case their grievance was not redressed. The Deputy Commissioner, who rushed to the spot, said the authorities would not be allowed to demolish the shops.

He said the Chamundi Hills was a heritage site and its beauty should be conserved. Hence an exclusive complex similar to the one recently inaugurated at Nanjangud would be constructed and all the shops located there.

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