The Hindu : Civic governance, industrial growth need of the hour

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mysore

Civic governance, industrial growth need of the hour

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, MARCH 22. Even as the three main political parties — the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Janata Dal (Secular) — are devising strategies to capture the four Assembly constituencies in the city limits, the candidates who win the polls have an onerous task at hand as they not only have to take steps to improve the civic governance of the city but also bring about growth of tourism and industry in Mysore.

While the entire Krishnaraja, Narasimharaja, and Chamaraja Assembly constituencies fall within the city limits, the outskirts and newly created layouts of the city come under the jurisdiction of the Chamundeshwari Assembly segment.

The residents of Mysore have long felt the need for a more proactive approach from civic authorities to attend to the pressing problems of the city. Be it repair of roads, clearance of garbage, clearing chocked drains, replacement of faulty street lights, or improving water supply, the people of the city are far from satisfied with the Mysore City Corporation authorities. Similarly, tourism and industry in Mysore have been neglected for long, despite their immense potential.

Bhamy V. Shenoy, convener of the Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP), told The Hindu that elected representatives should take steps to improve the governance of the city. "Their role will be to decentralise the corporation both administratively as well as financially."

Dr. Shenoy was critical of the corporation seeking administrative and financial approval from the Government for development works. "The civic body should not depend on the State Government for matters such as road repairs," he said.

The MLAs should bring pressure on the State Government to share a portion of its revenue with the corporations to ensure that the civic requirements of the city's residents were met, Dr. Shenoy said. Though the erstwhile Maharajas of Mysore put the city in the forefront of industrialisation, it has witnessed little industrialisation in the recent times. The sluggish industrial growth has become a cause for concern for the people. "Instead of keeping themselves busy with petty issues such as transfers and postings, the MLAs should be in touch with industrialists in the city so that an industry-friendly climate is created in the city," Dr. Shenoy said.

He noted that it was high time that the MLAs worked towards promoting industry in Mysore by forming a pressure group to prevail upon the State Government to extend attractive concessions to investors keen on starting industries in the region. This would help reduce the rate of unemployment in the city.

It may be mentioned here that the city has succeeded in attracting a couple of major software companies during the past few years. The software industry in Mysore has shown a sustained growth of almost 100 per cent in terms of exports every year.

"From a mere Rs. 80 lakh worth software exports in 1998-99, the city is set to touch the Rs. 140 crore mark during 2003-04," an IT observer pointed out.

However, if the growth rate was to be sustained, immediate steps should be taken to improve the transportation infrastructure, he added. "MLAs should devote their time and energies to expedite the ongoing works on doubling the railway track, upgrading the airport at Mandakalli, besides converting the expressway between Mysore and Bangalore into a four-lane one," he said.

If tourism in Mysore is to receive a shot in the arm, not only should the ongoing work on improving the transportation infrastructure reach its logical end, but the MLAs should coordinate with the Mysore Area Heritage Task Force.

The conservation of invaluable heritage structures and sites in Mysore should be high on the agenda of the MLAs if tourism is to flourish.

Meanwhile, some concerned people have also emphasised the role of MLAs in formulating a "water policy" for proper and scientific sharing of water for agriculture and drinking purposes.

Such a policy has become a necessity for Mysore in view of the frequent rifts between residents of the city and farmers in the adjoining areas over the sharing of water at the KRS Reservoir during summer.

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