Land allotted for DC's office complex in city

The deputy commissioner’s office complex will come up on 15 acres plot at Government of India Textbooks Press (GITP), popularly known as German Press on Mysuru- Bannur road in the city.

Addressing media at Jaladarshini Guest House in the city on Wednesday, Mysuru and Kodagu MP Prathap Simha was happy to note that the consistent efforts from both the State and the Central governments yielded the fruits. The Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu handed over the government order (GO), to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Nirman Bhavan in New Delhi on Wednesday. According to the GO, the 15 acres land at survey number 196 at Kyatamaranahalli, has been handed over to the State Government.

Simha who gave a detailed account of the efforts made in this regard said, when the district administration was scouting for a suitable location, the officials came across the surplus land of 16.53 acres at now defunct German Press. On the other hand, the State Government in its recent budget had also announced to build a deputy commissioner’s office complex, owing to its inability to expand the current office structure, a heritage building that dates back to the period of erstwhile rulers of Mysore.

Before sending a proposal to the Centre, both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Commissioner C Shikha inspected the said land. Following this a proposal was forwarded to the centre, and the deputy commissioner asked me to pursue the proposal, said Simha.

Simha said, initially the proposal was turned down, citing legal hurdles. There is no provision in the law to hand over the landed properties of the Centre to State Governments. Moreover, the secretary to printing division, in his opinion to the UD ministry wanted to retain the land for future expansion of the press.

Committee
Following this, a committee from the centre inspected the land in Mysuru and gave a favourable opinion, endorsing the proposal.

Simha claimed that, ‘unfazed, I exhorted the union minister umpteen times to spare the land for the said purpose. Of the total 16.53 acres of land, 15 acres is handed over to the State finally’.

Reacting to a query, Simha denied that the Center has been practicing step-motherly attitude towards the State.