Major projects in Kodagu yet to become a reality

With the annual fund of Rs 15 crore coming to the City Municipal Council from the Government, several concrete roads have been laid, solar lights have been installed along with adequate number high mast lights and many more projects have been implemented. Unfortunately, some of the major and significant projects have not yet taken up.

Suvarna Samskriti Sammuchaya, General Thimmaiah memorial, permanent drinking water project for Madikeri, shifting of private bus stand, Deputy Commissioner’s office complex construction and several other projects have not been started.

As a part of golden jubilee year of formation of the state in 2006, the then JD(S)-BJP coalition government decided to build Suvarna Samskriti Sammuchaya in some districts including Kodagu. The then finance minister B S Yeddyurappa sanctioned Rs 1.5 crore of the construction of the complex in the budget and released Rs 1 crore for the same immediately. While the complex has been inaugurated in places like Dharwad and Udupi, even foundation for the same has not been laid in Kodagu due to the dispute over the land. Though there were plans to lay the foundation near Government Junior College initially, objection from certain quarters made the authorities drop the plan. Ironically, an indoor stadium has been put up on the same land. Finally, a land has been identified near Sudarshan guest house. The district administration has handed over the land so that Public Works Department can start the construction work. Though this is the right time to start the construction works, neither the district administration, nor the PWD are showing any interest in starting the works.

Sunny side

The project of converting General K S Thimmaiah’s residence ‘Sunny side’ into a memorial at a cost of Rs 1 crore has not materialised over the last 4 years. The fact that the Regional Transport Office is functioning at Sunny Side and since no alternate arrangement has been done to shift this office, works of converting the residence into memorial cannot be started. The memorial will be a reality only after the RTO is shifted to its new premises near Abbey falls.

Meanwhile, Transport Department had purchased General Thimmaiah’s residence and the land in 1971 for Rs 2 lakh. The quarters of the employees too has been built in the same premises. This has brought Transport Department at loggerheads with the Kannada and Culture Department. In 2005, the Transport department made it clear to Kannada and Culture department that it would have to interact with the transport Commissioner with regard to transfer of land.

Kundamestri

As far as City Municipal Council is concerned, the significant Kundamestri project, which was conceptualised to solve the drinking water crisis in the city could not take off as the Centre refused to pay its share for the project.

The State government has been urged to execute the project on its own.

The private bus stand construction too has been hanging after some people filed a Public Interest Litigation against the construction of the bus stand on the 3 acre land of Bangalore Agriculture University on PPP model. The project cannot take off till the matter is settled by the court.

Deputy Commissioner’s office complex construction on Central Workshop land is expected to start soon. With these projects getting delayed year after year, people are losing hopes and interest on these projects.