Mysore/Mysuru: The District-level Office Complex (new DC Office building) on Mysuru – T. Narasipur Road at Siddarthanagar in city is in news for wrong reasons, as the unkempt multi-storey building reeks of unhygienic environs, within six months of becoming fully functional.

A part of the gigantic building that remains unused has turned into a hub of roosting pigeons that have made the gaps of the huge pillars their home, with their droppings on the walls and floor of the corridors and feathers making for unhygienic environment. Apart from being dusty, the corners of the corridors are dumped with wastes such as cardboards, thermocol and paper pieces, along with almirahs, broken chairs and old furniture.

The men’s toilet emits stench with those moving nearby closing their nostrils to escape from tepid smell hitting their senses. The urinals and commodes lack total maintenance, so also wash basins, doors and taps, rendering them unfit for use. The visitors are forced to answer nature’s call in the backside of the District Office Complex openly.

Senior citizens, the sick and disabled persons find it difficult to climb the stairs. Hence lift service is commonly provided in such multi-storey buildings. However, the lift here, though looks swanky, remains ‘Out of Service’ with a board hanged in English, but there is no clue of the time since when it is in repair. It is clearly evident that, the authorities concerned have turned a blind eye towards taking safety measures. The Electricity Maintenance Room near the District Urban Development Cell of Urban Development Department has a weak door, but a ‘Danger’ board has been put up, as a warning to people.

Over 70 rooms at the building are in use, including that of the chambers of District Minister, DC, Additional DC and Assistant Commissioner (AC) Courts, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department, District Registrar, Backward Classes Welfare Department, Land Survey and several other Departments. But still, there are several rooms left to be used.

Daily, there are several visitors from various parts of the district and even the Officers from several Departments who turn up for the meetings.

Farmer leaders, women activists, environmentalists and several such representatives of various organisations visit the new District Office Complex to meet the Deputy Commissioner and also there are drivers of various Department Officers. They deserve at least minimum basic infrastructural facilities.

When Siddharamaiah was the CM in his previous term from 2013 to 2018, the works on constructing this building began in 2016 and was completed on a fast pace, facilitating its formal opening at the hands of Siddharamaiah in March 2018.But still, it remained vacant with no District-level offices shifting here. While some of the Departments gradually shifted here, DC Office continued to function at the old DC Office building near Government Maharani’s College.

When Siddharamaiah returned as the CM for the second term recently, the Officers woke up to a subtle warning of the CM and the DC Office was shifted to the new building on June 8, 2023.

But when it comes to maintenance of the new building, the DC has to pull up his socks to ensure that it sports a clean look for real, with every nook and corner remaining tidy, greeting the visitors with a healthy look.

Of honeybees & Health Dept.

Several honeybees were found dead occupying the whole of Room No. 213 in the second floor. The Office of the Health and Family Welfare Department that was earlier functioning in this room has been now shifted to Room Numbers 224, 226 and 227 in the same floor. Two senior citizens, who were searching for Health Department, were heard speaking about the medicines used to spray causing the deaths of bees.

The Health Department may have shifted to escape from the menace of honeybees and roosting pigeons, but, there are many such honeycombs and nobody has complained about the bees troubling them.