The best way to react to the comments is to give the press note we had circulated without the photos. Please read and then we can have a debate. It is possible that we might have been less dignified. There is definitely scope for us to improve. We need not stoop down to the same level as our former mayors. there is no need since we are not there to score some debating points. Any way please read the press note we circulated .

Shooting the messengers, New Political Strategy

Bhamy V. Shenoy, Convener, MGP

During a recent press conference some of Mysore’s former mayors criticized the NGOs for all the ills of Mysore. They also gave a call that Mysore should develop along such cities like Pune, Varanasi and Agra all of which are well known for deplorable conditions. The public will surely treat their act of shooting the messengers as a cruel joke. Still it is useful to analyze the shocking non performance of the outgoing council. Even if one tries, it may be difficult to find one good thing MCC has done to prevent the all round decline of our once lovely city during the last five years. The list of their failure is very long one and also solemn promises made by them. I will restrict to just a few critical items.

Water Crisis

First have they even attempted to begin solving the water crisis of the city excepting some loud sound bites? It has been customary for every incoming mayor to promise that within two months water will be supplied every day to all parts of the city. Has any one kept that promise? The Jackwell project costing Rs. 60 lakhs should have been completed three years back in 2003. This was to ensure water supply during summer months. Water quality was always the question mark. Instead of acting on several suggestions offered by NGOs, their action was often criticized as scare mongering. What is needed is an independent organization (similar to what Bangalore has) to solve our water crisis, and not mismanagement by MCC without expertise.
Minor repair on Devaraya Canal led to water crisis in 2005. None of the corpoartors knew about this. Only after the NGOs exposed the problem, it was solved. There have been many such instances..

Garbage and Pig Clearance.

It is more than two years since ADB financed Excel plant has stopped working. Garbage collection is sporadic at worst. Less than 60% of garbage is collected. Only the pigs are saving us from being swamped by garbage. Garbage handling is not a simple operation. It requires an integrated approach with great expertise. Unfortunately MCC is wasting time announcing grandiose plans like Swachha Mysore from time to time.

Many promises were made to clear the city of pigs by MCC. Several dramas of catching pigs and letting them supposedly outside the city were held. During all these years population of pigs has been increasing.

Budget and property tax

MCC budget is a sham which looks like it was prepared by a high school drop out. It gives very little information. A budget should give a road map of solving short term problems and laying the ground work for preventing future crisis. At best today the budget is a number crunching exercise. At worst it is totally misleading. When MCC should be able to collect Rs 40 to 50 crores per year from property tax, it collects just Rs. 17 crores and congratulates itself for collecting more than last year.

Flagrant violation of building byelaws.


MCC gave an order to demolish the above building in Yadavagiri. The owners could get a CR within a day of submitting a new modified plan while not having even an approved construction license!

Building byelaws in our city are there to collect bribes and not to ensure the development of the city along the sound principles of city planning or approved CDP. It is NGOs or civic minded citizens who take the initiatives of fighting for the proper implementation of building byelaws and not 65 corporators who have better exposure to such problems. Who complained against the construction of IOB building in Yadavagiri which is built on main water pipelines? Why has works committee failed to take action against Shivananda supermarket in VV Mohalla even after MCC gave a demolition order for its 350% violation? It has no CR and has no trade license. What have the corporators done to stop the construction of a building in Cheluvamba Park in violation of Parks and Open spaces act? What interest has been shown to preserve and develop parks in the city? All over the city CA sites are exploited by the owners through commercial activities and often by politicians or people close to them. What action has MCC taken to stop such flagrant violations?

Roads and worsening traffic
How much money has been wasted during Dussera every year to improve roads? These “improved” roads return to their pot-holed state within a few weeks after Dussera. Has any attempt been made to undertake a study to prevent traffic crisis like Bangalore or at least to implement the recommendations of a study that was done few years back? Was there a need to widen the temple road in VV Mohalla when there are hundreds of other roads in Mysore crying for maintenance? Why did they fail to provide for pedestrian to walk?

JNNURM
How many corporators are familiar with the requirements of securing funds under JNNURM? If they are, why have they failed to take steps as required by JNNURM? When will we have double entry book keeping? When will we have city development planning committee? Have they taken even the smallest step to implement the spirit of 74th amendment to the Constitution to decentralize the power and strengthen MCC? It is the elected representatives who should be the decision maker and not the commissioner. When was the last time corporators had the guts to question the authority of the commissioner? It is a small miracle that one of the most inefficient commissioners that Mysore had during the last several years could last almost the full term under the watchful eye of 65 corporators!

Makkaji Chowka.

Makkaji Chowka idea was conceived 40 years back. Has the city been frozen since that time to insist that it must be implemented the way it was thought of at that time? Traffic congestion has since worsened around K. R. Circle. The very fact that all 65 corporators, MLASs and MPs have agreed to the proposal raises serious doubt about the viability of the project. How can the proposed building violate building byelaws? How was the project signed without getting approval from the heritage committee? How can MCC sign the deal when it does not even own all the land?

Dismal performance.

If any one were to evaluate and grade the performance of our corpoartors based on above observations, none will get a passing grade. In fact they will get a negative grade. If ours was a truly functioning democracy, majority will not be reelected. If NGOs were not protesting vigorously, MCC would have destroyed the city a long time ago.