Upalokayukta wants vehicles banned inside Cubbon Park

Upalokayukta Justice Subhash B Adi has revisited a controversial issue by suggesting that vehicular movement inside Cubbon Park should be totally banned.

During an interaction with Cubbon Park Walkers’ Association and others here, Adi suggested a complete ban on vehicular movement, parking and use of plastic inside the Cubbon Park.

Mahantesh Murgod, the deputy director, Horticulture department said that approval had been given for the construction benches and two more rain shelters in addition to the existing two; installation of name plates with other details in front of the five statues of Queen Victoria, King Edward, Sir Mark Cubbon, Sheshadri Iyer and Sri Chamarajendra Wadiyar besides displaying maps that will help visitors.

“Currently, there are two toilets. Approval has been given for three portable pre-fab toilets,” he said. The Horticulture department was also considering construction of arches at the entrance of the park similar to those at the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens.

 He said there are also proposals to have ornamental pots, a fountain at the Ringwood circle, Fern house and proper drinking water facilities and Hopcoms outlets. There is also a plan to have CCTV cameras and sirens installed for adequate surveillance at places that are considered important from security point.

Coffee shop

C Somashekar, managing director, Karnataka State Small Industries Development Corporation Limited proposed that as hardly any children were found using the children’s library, it must be converted into a restaurant or a coffee bar so that people who come to the park can at least chat over a cup of coffee.

“It was a restaurant earlier where nice dosas were served. Why not have the same when the library is hardly used by any kids?” he said.

“To make it convenient for the people who come for a walk here in the mornings, it would be great if the Coffee House can serve coffee in makeshift shops on the walkers’ path,” Somashekar said and added that this would ensure that the Coffee house gets publicity and also visitors from other states get to taste Karnataka’s coffee. 

Jyothi Thyagarajan, who comes to Cubbon Park for her morning walk daily, said that street dogs must be allowed to move about freely in the park, provided they are castrated, as it will help maintain eco balance.

“If we chase all the dogs out, the number of rats is certain to increase. This will in turn attract snakes,” she said.  


‘No change in name’

The Horticulture department seems to have done a volte-face on renaming Cubbon Park as Sri Chamarajendra Park, after the erstwhile king.

Though the order was issued in 1948 to change the name from Cubbon Park to Sri Chamarajendra Park, no effort was ever made by the department to enforce it, except to mention it on their website. While it has emerged that the department actually intended to name the park Sri Chamarajendra Park and mentioned it on the arches to be constructed at the entrance, senior officials in the department seem to have changed their mind.

“When some government order was issued so long ago and has not been implemented till date, there must be a reason behind it. The park will continue to be called Cubbon Park in the future,” said Shankarlinge Gowda, the principal secretary, Horticulture department.

Some officials admitted that a proposal to rename the park was considered, but was dropped as it threatened to turn controversial. The park was initially named Meade’s Park after Sir John Meade, the Commissioner of Mysore in the year 1870, was later renamed after Sir Mark Cubbon, the longest serving Commissioner of Mysore. It was later renamed Sri Chamarajendra Park to commemorate the silver jubilee of Krishnaraja Wadiyar’s rule in the year 1927.