CONTROVERSIAL SITE: A view of Makkaji Chowk in Mysore which is to be handed over to a private company for the construction of a shopping complex. — PHOTO: M.A. Sriram

MYSORE: Citizens' groups in Mysore have threatened to move the Supreme Court against the State Government and Mysore City Corporation's decision to lease out four acres and 19 guntas of prime land at Makkaji Chowk here to a private company to build a shopping mall.

The Association of Concerned and Informed Citizens of Mysore (ACICM) has accused the State Government and the corporation of "abdicating its responsibility" to taxpayers and entering a deal in favour of the private builder.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, association member and advocate S. Arun Kumar said a public interest litigation would be filed in the Supreme Court seeking cancellation of the lease agreement.

e appealed to citizens and organisations to file public interest litigations in the Supreme Court and the Karnataka High Court.

It may be recalled here that the corporation after inviting tenders had passed a resolution in September 2005 to hand over the contract to construct a shopping complex at Makkaji Chowk to a Bangalore-based company.

The State Government cleared the project in April 2006 and the corporation authorities, before handing over the land to the company, started clearing the Makkaji Chowk area.

With the foundation stone for the project to be laid by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on June 15, the association has threatened to stage a protest and submit a memorandum to the Government seeking cancellation of the lease agreement.

The association has cited the Karnataka Heritage Act, 2004, which prohibits any commercial complex coming up 300 ft from a heritage structure, to oppose the project.

Several heritage buildings such as the Town Hall, K.R. Circle buildings and the Mysore Palace were situated close to Makkaji Chowk, Mr. Arun Kumar said.

Arguing that the Makkaji Chowk area belonged to the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA), the association has questioned the legality of the corporation's decision to lease out land to a private developer. "The authority to take a decision on developing or leasing Makkaji Chowk vests solely with MUDA and not the corporation," he said.

According to the existing lease agreement between the corporation and the private builder, association convenor Lakshmana said the company after constructing the 3.4 lakh-square ft shopping mall, would pay an annual rent of Rs. 3.15 crore to the corporation with an increase of 3 per cent every year for the next 40 years before handing over the property to the corporation.

After 40 years, the corporation would have earned Rs. 227 crore from the private builder, he said.

"If the corporation can take up the job of building the shopping mall on its own by investing Rs. 25 crore, the civic body can earn Rs. 30 crore every year through rent.

This works out to Rs. 1,200 crore in 40 years. The profit being made by the private builder is Rs. 973 crore," he said.

Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP) president S.G. Vombatkere and parishat convenor Bhamy V. Shenoy have also opposed the project.

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