MLA, MUDA Chairman to perform guddali puja on Feb. 19

Mysore/Mysuru: The Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) has taken up the much-awaited and long-pending project ‘Autonagar’ which would benefit hundreds of displaced mechanics.

The proposed Autonagar will come up on 10.10 acre land on Mandakalli Survey No. 64 near Bandipalya and MLA S.A. Ramdas and MUDA Chairman Yashaswi S. Somashekar will perform guddali puja for the construction of Autonagar on Feb. 19 at 10.30 am.

The construction of the proposed Autonagar will be taken up at an approximate cost of Rs. 4.5 crore with basic facilities such as roads, water, electricity, underground drainage system, toilets and bathing rooms among others for the mechanics.

It may be recalled that a few years ago, mechanics of Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) in city were asked to stop repairing LMVs and HMVs in city and they were assured of providing spaces on the outskirts of city. As spaces were not provided to them, the mechanics had begun repairing vehicles on footpaths and wherever spaces were available in city.

It was proposed to construct four Autonagars in different parts of the city to make Mysuru City free from air pollution and parking hazards. Though guddali puja was performed for the construction in 2013, when MLA Ramdas was the District Minister, the project failed to take off.

Ramdas said that a few land owners had approached the Court, following which the Autonagar project had come to a standstill. As the cases have been disposed off by the Court, a date has been fixed for the construction, the MLA added.

Garages for cars, jeeps, buses, trucks, spare parts shops, tyre shops, tinkering shops, painting shops, automobile electrical works shops, upholstery shops and other shops related to LMVs and HMVs will come up at the proposed Autonagar and MUDA is preparing for the implementation of the project, Ramdas said.

President of Autonagar Mysore City Motor Vehicles Mechanics Association (LMV&HMV) B.N. Mahesh Raje Urs said that due to increase in population of people and vehicles, there were no places to repair LMVs and HMVs in city, which was causing a lot of problems to the mechanics to earn their livelihood.

Many mechanics had come to the streets and their families began suffering from severe financial crisis, following which Mahesh Raje Urs began pressurising the Government for the construction of Autonagars at four places across the city.

Association members had also staged protests in front of MUDA and had also taken out jathas for the construction of Autonagars.