I love Mysuru, says CM

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on Sunday, expressed his love for Mysuru City, his native, in open, saying “I like Mysuru, I love Mysuru”.

Addressing the gathering, mostly women, after dedicating the Mysuru regional Stree Shakti Training Centre at Vijayanagar Second Stage, here, during a programme organised jointly by the Zilla Panchayat, Women and Child Development Department and Forest departments, Siddaramaiah said, “I have travelled to several cities, but still, Mysuru remains my favourite”, to a huge applause from the gathering.

However, the chief minister fretted over his favourite city going the Bengaluru way by producing over 400 tonnes of waste per day. “If the authorities concerned fail to take steps to address the garbage menace, it may go the Bengaluru way. Besides, the population of the city has crossed 10 lakh and there is a spurt in the density of vehicles causing pollution,” he lamented.

The CM claimed to have wiped out the tag of Bengaluru as ‘garbage city’, that generates 3,500 tonnes of waste per day. The waste is being processed at six different units. The encroachment of lakes are being cleared and a dedicated authority has been established for the purpose to take stringent action against such cases, he said.

Siddaramaiah wondered about the success of forestation programmes, with not even 35 per cent of the green cover being conserved even after taking massive plantation drives. “Measures should be taken in advance to conserve the green cover, before it goes out of control,” he averred.

Siddaramaiah felt that the number of women enrolling for Stree Shakti sanghas should improve with 20 lakh members available in the state. The government has increased the revolving fund for sanghas from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000, he pointed out.