Karnataka's Muzrai Department to finally get its own four-storey building at Rs 27 crore

Bengaluru: Decades after its inception, the state Muzrai Department is set to move from rented premises to its own permanent headquarters. On Monday, Transport and Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy performed the bhoomi puja (groundbreaking ceremony) for ‘Dharmika Soudha’, a grand four-storey office complex to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 27 crore.

The building will come up on a 20-cent plot adjacent to the Ramanjaneya Swamy Temple, behind Vikas Soudha and opposite MS Building. Reflecting the state’s rich heritage, the structure will be built in the iconic Hoysala architectural style.

“The department oversees over 34,000 temples but has been operating out of a cramped, rented building in Chamarajpet for years, paying lakhs in rent. It was high time we had a dedicated space,” Minister Reddy said during the ceremony. He noted that while the project cost is Rs 27 crore, the department is utilising its own accumulated funds and anticipated central grants rather than depending solely on the state exchequer.

The proposed building will span four floors and a ground level, designed to house all administrative wings of the department under one roof. While the ground floor has a dedicated parking, a digital library, and a record room for the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) department. A formal court hall, the Commissioner’s office, and the Survey department will be on the first floor. The second and third floors will house the Agama section, IT and Engineering wings, meeting halls, and open office spaces for superintendents and the fourth floor will have a state-of-the-art auditorium for departmental functions.

The event was attended by Bengaluru Central MP P C Mohan, Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad, Principal Secretary Rajendra Kumar Kataria, and Muzrai Commissioner Sharath.

“If something good happens they credit PM Modi. If prices rise they blame the state. They claim the state is in debt but look at the Central government’s borrowing over Rs 2 lakh crore annually. Whose treasury is really empty?

Ramalinga Reddy Transport Minister

Metro fare hike: Ramalinga Reddy hits out at BJP 

Dismissing allegations that the state government was responsible for the price rise Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy clarified the legal framework governing the metro. “The BJP leaders are ‘drama masters’ and habitual liars. The decision to hike fares is made by a three-member committee headed by the Union Urban Development Secretary. The committee has two central representatives and only one from the state” he pointed out. Reddy questioned why Bengaluru’s BJP MPs remained silent in Parliament while the city contributes over Rs 3 lakh crore in revenue to the Centre. “If something good happens they credit PM Modi. If prices rise they blame the state. They claim the state is in debt but look at the Central government’s borrowing over Rs 2 lakh crore annually. Whose treasury is really empty?” he asked.