Mysore/Mysuru: Residents of Chamundi Hill and Gram Panchayat members have urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah not to bring their area under the jurisdiction of the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) and instead allow the Chamundi Hill Gram Panchayat to continue functioning as it is.

The villagers, who met CM Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru, submitted a memorandum stating that Chamundi Hill holds a unique identity as the sacred abode of Goddess Chamundeshwari.

They noted that around 450 families, with a population of more than 3,000, live atop the Hill. Despite the Gram Panchayat efficiently managing local administration, “there are ongoing efforts to bring Chamundi Hill under MCC limits,” they alleged.

They further pointed out that nearly 90 percent of the Hill’s residents belong to SC/ST                                                     and Backward Classes and depend on income from small businesses. Bringing Chamundi Hill under MCC, they said, would lead to steep hikes in taxes, causing severe distress to the local community.

“Chamundi Hill village is attached to the Reserve Forest, and there is no requirement for new layout approvals or major development works. Inclusion under MCC will only jeopardise the sanctity of the Hill shrine and increase political interference,” they stated.

They added that the Chamundi Hill Gram Panchayat had already passed a unanimous resolution on May 12, 2022, opposing its inclusion under the proposed Greater Mysuru City                                                                             Corporation limits.