MUDA under fire once again for Rs 265/month telecom tower lease

Mysuru: The Mysuru Development Authority (MDA), formerly Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), which was in the news for all the wrong reasons over the last couple of years over the alleged 50:50 site allocation, has landed in another controversy for leasing its commercial rooftop space to a private telecom company for a meagre rent of Rs 265 per month.

The permission was granted in 2024 (letter dated May 20, 2024) for a 10-year period to install a mobile tower atop the MUDA's commercial complex in Vijayanagar 1st Stage, in Mysuru.

The approval was allegedly sanctioned by the then Commissioner, Dinesh Kumar, based on a requisition letter, sans any standard terms, conditions, or formal lease agreements.

MUDA letter

While private property owners typically charge thousands of rupees as rent for mobile tower installations, MUDA letting out public property for a negligible amount has raised serious suspicions of a major administrative lapse or collusion, said social activist B N Nagendra, who procured a copy of the MUDA letter in this regard.

When the matter was brought to his notice, current MDA Commissioner K R Rakshith said he would verify the records and take appropriate action.