<p>Mysuru: With just a month left for the grand Dasara festivities, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) is set to roll out civil works worth Rs 9.48 crore across the city.</p><p>Mysuru, recognised as a major tourist hub, is expected to draw lakhs of visitors during the 10-day celebrations. But even as the MCC rushes to prepare, residents and tourism stakeholders have renewed their demand for a permanent Dasara Authority or a committee of experts to scientifically plan the festival, alongside a special package from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to ensure world-class infrastructure.</p><p>“This is not just about patching up roads or clearing footpaths,” they stressed.</p><p>“Dasara is Mysuru’s global identity. The city must be projected to the world in a better way.”</p>.Fresh no-trust motion under panchayat rules valid based on earlier requisition: Karnataka HC.<p><strong>MCC works begin</strong></p><p>The state government has stopped providing separate funds for Dasara-related civil works in recent years. So MCC led by Commissioner Shaikh Tanveer Asif is mobilising its own resources to take up essential works.</p><p>According to MCC Superintendent Engineer Manjunath, eight major works have been finalised at a total cost of Rs 9,48,65,000.</p><p>Of this, Rs 5.88 crore will go into repairing roads, filling potholes, sprucing up footpaths, and painting lanes and kerbs along the Jamboo Savari procession route and other key stretches. Barricades on Raja Marga and roads around the Mysuru Palace will be improved at a cost of Rs 1.14 crore.</p><p>The MCC has also earmarked Rs 14.75 lakh to repaint the statues of Sri Krishnaraja Wadiyar (KR Circle), Sri Chamaraja Wadiyar (Chamaraja Circle), and Dr B R Ambedkar (Town Hall), besides painting gopuras and pedestals.</p><p>Further allocations include Rs 90 lakh for maintaining cleanliness during the festivities, arranging drinking water and mobile toilets on procession route on Vijayadashami; Rs 88.04 lakh for illuminating 20 parks; Rs 12.50 lakh for works at Yuva Sambhrama; and Rs 15 lakh for the Dasara pet dog show. The MCC has also planned to spend Rs 25 lakh on artefacts created from waste materials to decorate the city. Works will begin within the next 10 days, Manjunath added.</p><p><strong>Call for permanent authority</strong></p><p>Despite these efforts, civic groups remain skeptical about the quality and sustainability of last-minute works.</p><p>Bhamy V Shenoy, founding working president of Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP), pointed out: “Year after year, we see hurried works of poor quality. To avoid this, the MGP has long proposed a permanent Dasara organising committee of experts to handle all aspects of the festival — from inviting artistes and designing programmes, to managing the procession and promotion. Such a body will ensure long-term planning and better execution.”</p><p>Shenoy drew parallels with international festivals. “Events like Mardi Gras in the US, the Bach Festival in Germany and the Rio Carnival in Brazil are planned meticulously, often a year in advance, by permanent committees. Dasara is far older than these festivals — why not give it the same importance? Let us stop wasting money on unproductive civil works year after year,” he argued.</p><p><strong>Tourism stakeholders’ demands</strong></p><p>Tourism representatives also pressed for a long-term vision. Mysuru Hotel Owners’ Association president C Narayana Gowda said: “Since the Chief Minister himself is from Mysuru, he should fulfil the long-pending demand to form a Dasara Authority. It will help plan the festival systematically, boost tourism and showcase the city better. Separate funds must be released for Dasara-related works, so that quality and standards can be improved.”</p><p>He noted that besides the 35–40 lakh tourists who throng the Mysuru Palace and Zoo annually, the city records nearly 50 lakh visitors overall every year.</p><p>“The CM should announce a special package to upgrade infrastructure to global standards, befitting Mysuru’s reputation as a cultural capital,” he said</p>
<p>Mysuru: With just a month left for the grand Dasara festivities, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) is set to roll out civil works worth Rs 9.48 crore across the city.</p><p>Mysuru, recognised as a major tourist hub, is expected to draw lakhs of visitors during the 10-day celebrations. But even as the MCC rushes to prepare, residents and tourism stakeholders have renewed their demand for a permanent Dasara Authority or a committee of experts to scientifically plan the festival, alongside a special package from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to ensure world-class infrastructure.</p><p>“This is not just about patching up roads or clearing footpaths,” they stressed.</p><p>“Dasara is Mysuru’s global identity. The city must be projected to the world in a better way.”</p>.Fresh no-trust motion under panchayat rules valid based on earlier requisition: Karnataka HC.<p><strong>MCC works begin</strong></p><p>The state government has stopped providing separate funds for Dasara-related civil works in recent years. So MCC led by Commissioner Shaikh Tanveer Asif is mobilising its own resources to take up essential works.</p><p>According to MCC Superintendent Engineer Manjunath, eight major works have been finalised at a total cost of Rs 9,48,65,000.</p><p>Of this, Rs 5.88 crore will go into repairing roads, filling potholes, sprucing up footpaths, and painting lanes and kerbs along the Jamboo Savari procession route and other key stretches. Barricades on Raja Marga and roads around the Mysuru Palace will be improved at a cost of Rs 1.14 crore.</p><p>The MCC has also earmarked Rs 14.75 lakh to repaint the statues of Sri Krishnaraja Wadiyar (KR Circle), Sri Chamaraja Wadiyar (Chamaraja Circle), and Dr B R Ambedkar (Town Hall), besides painting gopuras and pedestals.</p><p>Further allocations include Rs 90 lakh for maintaining cleanliness during the festivities, arranging drinking water and mobile toilets on procession route on Vijayadashami; Rs 88.04 lakh for illuminating 20 parks; Rs 12.50 lakh for works at Yuva Sambhrama; and Rs 15 lakh for the Dasara pet dog show. The MCC has also planned to spend Rs 25 lakh on artefacts created from waste materials to decorate the city. Works will begin within the next 10 days, Manjunath added.</p><p><strong>Call for permanent authority</strong></p><p>Despite these efforts, civic groups remain skeptical about the quality and sustainability of last-minute works.</p><p>Bhamy V Shenoy, founding working president of Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP), pointed out: “Year after year, we see hurried works of poor quality. To avoid this, the MGP has long proposed a permanent Dasara organising committee of experts to handle all aspects of the festival — from inviting artistes and designing programmes, to managing the procession and promotion. Such a body will ensure long-term planning and better execution.”</p><p>Shenoy drew parallels with international festivals. “Events like Mardi Gras in the US, the Bach Festival in Germany and the Rio Carnival in Brazil are planned meticulously, often a year in advance, by permanent committees. Dasara is far older than these festivals — why not give it the same importance? Let us stop wasting money on unproductive civil works year after year,” he argued.</p><p><strong>Tourism stakeholders’ demands</strong></p><p>Tourism representatives also pressed for a long-term vision. Mysuru Hotel Owners’ Association president C Narayana Gowda said: “Since the Chief Minister himself is from Mysuru, he should fulfil the long-pending demand to form a Dasara Authority. It will help plan the festival systematically, boost tourism and showcase the city better. Separate funds must be released for Dasara-related works, so that quality and standards can be improved.”</p><p>He noted that besides the 35–40 lakh tourists who throng the Mysuru Palace and Zoo annually, the city records nearly 50 lakh visitors overall every year.</p><p>“The CM should announce a special package to upgrade infrastructure to global standards, befitting Mysuru’s reputation as a cultural capital,” he said</p>