The proposal to upgrade the road from existing two lanes to four lanes has added to the woes of the sentinels of the society. The Mysore City Corporation (MCC) has plans to widen the road to facilitate burgeoning traffic at an estimated cost of Rs 3.5 crore.
Sources told Deccan Herald, a stretch of the road from Vidwan Devendrappa Circle (opposite petrol bunk) to Sayyaji Rao road will be widened. It is estimated that five to 10 feet space is required for expansion on the left side from Devendrappa Circle. As a result, portions of vacant space belonging to K R Hospital, including the buildings that house Devaraja police station and Janata Bazaar in the same line are most likely to be demolished.
Although a citizen-friendly initiative, it has not gone down well with the staffs at the station, who readily curse their fate for constantly living under fear — in one or the other way. The trouble began when the police station was shifted from Devaraja market building in the corner of the same road to the abandoned official quarters of resident medical officer (RMO) of K R Hospital, where the station is located at present.
Given the life of the good old structure, the walls began to edge out. Worse came when the floor of the record room in the corner caved in. The room was locked. However, it didn’t take much time for the floor in the adjacent room to develop a crack. The staffs at the room were shifted to another room in the premises.
Earlier, the floor of the inspector’s chamber too had caved in. It was redone with loads of sand. When this is the scene, there may not be a day for the staff for having worked in peace.
Following this, the then police commissioner Bhaskar Rao made a bid to construct a new building for the station at the land identified at nearby J K Grounds. Foundation was also laid, but to no avail as Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMC and RI) Alumni Association moved court claiming the ownership of the grounds.
When nothing fructified, efforts were made by the incumbent police commissioner Sunil Agarwal to get a new site for the station. A portion of land belonging to Muzrai department on Dewan’s Road was identified, and the previous deputy commissioner Harsh Gupta sought an opinion from Muzrai officers, who too turned down the offer to sanction the land.
With fresh fear erupting after the local body’s plan, the staffs at the station have nothing but to think- what next? The area councillor M J Ravikumar — who is also the deputy mayor — apprised the police commissioner about the road widening plans, during the latter’s visit to the station.
Now, the police are banking on the top cop to bail them out of the fresh crisis.
