Mysuru: The demand for early civic polls is growing louder with former Corporator SBM Manju urging the Government to hold the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) elections at the earliest taking into consideration the development of Mysuru and on the other hand, the Mysuru Mahanagara Palike Chunavane Horata Samiti leading a delegation to District In-charge Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa to hold the MCC polls at the earliest in the larger interests of city residents.

Addressing a press meet at Pathrakartara Bhavan here on Wednesday, SBM Manju said that several intellectuals, activists  and leaders of various political parties have staged demonstrations demanding conduct of MCC polls at the earliest. This is the demand of the people too, he said adding that the Congress is only engaged in lip service in respect of decentralisation of power.

Maintaining that people have been questioning the former Corporators on when the polls would be held, he said that the MCC does not have an elected body for over a year-and-a-half.

Stressing on the need for holding the polls at the earliest, Manju said, they will discuss with political leaders about knocking on the doors of the Court and taking a delegation to the CM.

Alleging that no works are going on in MCC Wards for lack of grants, Manju claimed that the MCC pending bills, which stood at Rs. 40 crore earlier, has now touched Rs. 450 crore.

Pointing out that it is being said that Rs. 65 crore, which was to be granted by the Centre for various schemes, has returned back because of the absence of an elected body, he alleged that the MCC was also lagging behind in collection of property tax, water bills and other revenue sources.

Former Corporators Prema Shankaregowda, Bhagya Mahadesh and M. Shivanna, JD(S) leader Falcon Boregowda and BJP leader Vinod were present at the press meet.

Samiti leads delegation to District Minister

Meanwhile, a delegation of Mysuru Mahanagara Palike Chunavane Horata Samiti, headed by Historian Prof. P.V. Nanjaraj Urs met District Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa at Jaladarshini Guest House on Hunsur Road here.

They said that it is nearly two years since the tenure of the last elected body of the MCC ended. Since then, people are running from pillar to post for getting even small things done on time in the MCC. In the absence of an elected body, the officials have been largely unresponsive to complaints on civic issues such as drinking water supply, underground drainage works, road repairs and asphalting, waste collection and disposal etc., which has severely inconvenienced the citizens,” the Samiti members alleged. Arguing that it requires at least three years for implementing the Government’s plan of a Greater Mysuru, the members said but by then, this Government’s tenure would have ended.

Contending that polls are a Constitutional right of citizens, they urged the District Minister to exert pressure on the Government for holding elections to MCC and other local bodies in the better interests of the people.

Responding to the demand, Dr. Mahadevappa said that the Government has left the discussions on the pros and cons of Greater Mysuru formation, in public domain. Asserting that the Government would not go for Greater Mysuru all of a sudden, he said that the matter should be discussed more broadly with the CM and all other stakeholders. The Government intends to implement the Greater Mysuru plans only after the MCC polls are held, he assured the Samiti members.

The Samiti Convenor Aravind Sharma, Karnataka Kannada Vedike President Suresh Babu, SDPI State Vice-President Puttananjaiah Devanur, Srivari Nagaraj, KRS party office-bearer S. Nagendra, District President Sundar Premkumar, H.P. Ravi, N. Rajendra, T.R. Lokesh, S. Abhigna and others were present.