Activist M.K. Premkumar flags concerns about increasing chaos during festivals; opposes Supreme Court order on restoration without demolition of heritage structure

Mysuru: State President of Mysuru Rakshana Vedike M.K. Premkumar has said, he won’t agree with the latest order of the Supreme Court (SC) to restore and conserve Devaraja Market in the city without demolishing the heritage structure.

Addressing media persons in front of Devaraja Market yesterday, Premkumar brought to attention the chaos witnessed during the recent Varamahalakshmi festival, when the women found it difficult to shop freely. This inconvenience was noticed, even as the women officers adorn the top positions in Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) including that of Commissioner, Assistant Commissioners of Zonal Office among several others.

The traders, apart from the shops and space allotted to them, have been encroaching upon the pathways in the market, by keeping their products on the extended space. With Gowri-Ganesha festival scheduled next month followed by other festivals in the coming months, steps should be taken to ensure that the womenfolk shop freely with all safety measures in place. Mysuru district in-charge Minister should take a stock of the situation, by inspecting inside and outside the market area to study the reality, he added.

The pushcart vendors have been blatantly occupying vehicle parking lots too, followed by unabated footpath encroachments. In this wake, the traders should also bear in mind, if they continue to encroach upon the public places and footpaths, where will be the space left for the customers to walk through at least to buy the articles?

Police and MCC should undertake a joint operation to create a conducive atmosphere for the people to visit Devaraja Market without experiencing any inconvenience.