MYSORE: Minister for Housing D.T. Jayakumar on Tuesday said the State Government would be submitting a revised City Development Plan (CDP) for Mysore to the Union Government within 60 days, incorporating the heritage component, to secure funds under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

The Minister told presspersons here that the revised plan was being submitted after the Centre directed the State Government to rework it, giving importance to the heritage component. Mysore had been included in `Category C' for the development of tourism and heritage sites. The Government was holding deliberations for technical inputs to the CDP, he said.

"Beginning April 1, 2007, Mysore city will receive Rs. 1,834 crore over a period of seven years, of which Rs. 700 crore will be released during the next financial year. This amount should be spent on infrastructure development such as water supply, drainage and road development," he said.

Minister for Medical Education V.S. Acharya, who arrived here to attend Tuesday's meeting on the JNNURM, said connectivity to Mysore should be improved for it to attract international tourists. "Mysore airport should be upgraded to handle big aircraft, railway track [to Bangalore] has to be doubled and roads have to be improved." Dr. Acharya said lakes around Mysore would also be improved.

Both the ministers interacted with experts on the City Development Plan to meet the guidelines set by the Union Government.

Among the topics discussed were urban transport, including roads, highways, expressways/metro project, basic services for the urban poor, establishment of markets, renewal of Devaraja Market and food processing.

Experts' views on parks, parking lots, sewerage, solid waste management, construction and improvement of drains, water supply, including desalination plants and sanitation, preservation of water bodies, development of heritage areas and urban renewal (development of the inner city) were placed before the meeting.

University of Mysore Vice-Chancellor J. Shashidhar Prasad, Karnataka State Open University Vice-Chancellor K. Sudha Rao, Deputy Commissioner S. Selvakumar and D. Made Gowda, MLC, were present.

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