Mysore/Mysuru: Admitting a growing demand to upgrade Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) as Greater Mysuru (Bruhat Mysuru Mahanagara Palike), District Minister S.T. Somashekar said a decision to this effect will be taken after holding a meeting of the elected representatives and officials soon.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of Gandhi Jayanthi celebrations here this morning, he said eight Gram Panchayats (GPs) have qualification to be merged with the City Corporation. The Government will examine whether to upgrade the MCC based on population or on other parameters. It will be decided after meeting with the local elected representatives, he added.

DC row: Ruling out controversy in transfer of Deputy Commissioner (DC) B.Sharat, the Minister said it was the State Government’s decision which will be welcomed. The incumbent DC Rohini Sindhuri had done good deeds in many districts. So, it was not right to say that they needed a Kannadiga as DC when it comes to IAS Officers.

Bypoll: Somashekar said there was no confusion over giving BJP ticket to Munirathna for Raja Rajeshwarinagar by-election to be held on Nov. 3. 

All of them have appealed to high command to give ticket for him and party leaders will take a decision. It was common to have more than one name while finalising candidate for any election as the party will have to take into consideration the defeated candidate.

Loans: He said the State Government has earmarked Rs.8,600 crore for disbursement of loan to farmers, small farmers, entrepreneurs and traders of the Mysuru Division who were badly hit due to COVID-19, under ‘Arthika Spandana’ programme. 

Beneficiaries from eight districts are eligible for the scheme. All four Divisions put together, the Government was giving a loan to the tune of Rs.39,000 crore.

Earlier, the Minister garlanded the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Gandhi Square in city. Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri, MLAs S.A.Ramdas and L.Nagendra, Mayor Tasneem, MCC Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde and Superintendent of Police C.B. Ryshyanth were present.

High-Level Meeting held in Bengaluru

Meanwhile, a high-level meeting was held in Bengaluru yesterday in connection with ‘Greater Mysuru’ in the presence of Municipal Administration Minister K.C. Narayanagowda and District Minister Somashekar. 

The meeting discussed about including Alanahalli, Hanchya, Kadakola, Rammanahalli, Devalapura, Hosahundi, Srirampura, Jayapura, Bogadi, Hootagalli, Hinkal, Koorgalli, Yelwal, Belavatta, Siddalingapura, Udbur, Dhanagalli and Lalithadripura into the City Corporation limits and providing them with basic facilities. 

Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha, MUDA Commissioner H.V. Rajeev, Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ravishankar, MLA G.T. Devegowda and others attended the meeting.

The meeting resolved to submit a memorandum to the State Election Commission not to hold election to GPs situated adjacent to the Corporation within a week. They also decided to place this proposal before the State Cabinet meeting. They opined villages around the City have witnessed a lot of development with a number of factories functioning. 

This has improved concentration of people and good revenue to those GPs. Those villages need to be upgraded as per law and merge them into the MCC, they observed.