Karnataka High Court orders status quo on land allotted for proposed Unity Mall in Mysuru

Mysuru: The Karnataka High Court has ordered ‘status quo’ on the land allotted for the proposed Unity Mall, on a portion of the Mysuru Dasara Exhibition Grounds or Doddakere Maidan, near Mysuru Palace, in Mysuru, recently.

In an order, issued on November 28, the High Court has directed the respondent 8, the Karnataka State department of Industries and Commerce, in the petition, to maintain status quo. The petition has been filed by head of the erstwhile royal family Pramoda Devi Wadiyar. Interestingly, her son and Mysore-Kodagu MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar had laid the foundation stone for the works on the 6.05 acres of land on Survey No 1, Mysuru Village, Kasba Hobli, Mysuru, on July 27. The total area of the Mysuru Dasara Exhibition Grounds is 80 acres.

The petitioner has stated that the said land is no more a government land, in respect of the court order, passed in the Writ Petition No 6529/2007, filed by her, earlier.

The Karnataka State Cabinet approved the project, a mall with 77 shops, to promote traditional handicrafts, handlooms and Geographical Indications (GI) products of 31 districts of Karnataka, and 36 States of India, in 2024. It is planned at a cost of Rs 193 crore, as part of ‘One District One Product’ (ODOP) scheme, funded through interest-free loan from the Centre, to provide economic opportunities as part of tourism, and to showcase Karnataka’s rich heritage to tourists. The department of Industries and Commerce is entrusted to execute the project in Mysuru. The project was announced in the 2023-2024 Union budget. The Centre had planned such malls in 36 cities across India.

Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru G Lakshmikantha Reddy said, the High Court has asked to maintain status quo, till further directions. The required documents will be submitted before the court. Steps will be taken to vacate the order, to implement the project, he said.