Mayor Shivakumar held a meeting with the MCC Commissioner here on Thursday to revive the concept of Greater Mysuru in a bid to widen the tax net and mobilise greater resources.
The meeting was attended by MCC Commissioner Lakshmikanth Reddy, Deputy Mayor Roopa Yogesh, and Mysuru MP Pratap Simha.
The Mayor has sought a report on the pros and cons of declaring Mysuru Mahanagara Palike or Mysuru City Corporation as Bruhat Mysuru Mahanagara Palike on the lines of the BBMP in Bengaluru.
He said that a preliminary meeting was held to take forward the concept which was first mooted more than 10 years ago. Mr. Shivakumar said the population of Mysuru, if the suburbs outside the MCC limits were brought under its jurisdiction, would cross 12 lakh and would qualify for additional funds from centre as well. ‘’Besides, some of the industrial areas on the outskirts of Mysuru and are part of Mysuru district, will be included in the city limits and this will help augment the revenue to the MCC,” he added.
But the Mayor said the concept was not being pushed forward in a bid to generate additional revenue alone but to ensure planned development. The industrial area of Hootagalli, which is now a City Municipal Council, Bogadi, Siddalingapura, Srirampura, Ramanahalli, Alanahalli etc. receive services from MCC and about 1.25 lakh to 1.5 lakh people live in these areas. If brought under MCC limits, then the area can have better planning while it will also widen the tax net of the corporation.
“’The semi-urban settlements beyond the Outer Ring Road are growing in a haphazard manner devoid of any planning and they are bound to be part of Mysuru in future. But it will be too late for any intervention and hence it is being mooted to bring the semi-urban settlements abutting the ORR also into MCC limits to ensure planned growth’’, according to Mr. Shivakumar.
Incidentally, the issue was also discussed a few months ago by the Mysuru district in-charge Minister S.T. Somashekar with the councillors of MCC and there was a general consensus in favour of it on the grounds that the MCC was anyway providing services such as drinking water and solid waste collection. The Minister had then stated that as many as eight GPs on the outskirts of the city qualify to be part of Greater Mysuru if the concept was approved.
Depending on the areas that will be part of the proposed Greater Mysuru, the number of wards of the MCC will increase from 65, according to Mr. Shivakumar, who said that an additional 15 wards could be created but it could further increase depending on the areas that are incorporated under Greater Mysuru.
With respect to the city roads and their pathetic condition, Mr. Shivakumar said unprecedented rain had wreaked havoc but with adequate funds released by the government, the works would be taken up from this month.
