Work on installing 10 heritage lamp posts with elephant heads on a 2-ft concrete platform underway
Mysore/Mysuru: Soon, take a stroll around K.R. Circle after 6.30 pm and you will find decorative light poles fixed with glowing LED lights elevating the overall ambiance of the Statue Circle.
The Tourism Department has embarked on a Rs. 1 crore project to make the Circle look beautiful with the installation of 10 heritage lamp posts with four elephant heads looking in four different directions. The cast iron poles are specially brought from Madhya Pradesh.
Each lamp post measures 24-ft in height and the poles will be erected on a 2-ft concrete platforms that are already built at the Circle. The project is expected to be completed within a month or so.
The light pole will have two bulbs — one of 150 Watt and the other of 100 Watt power. While one bulb will light up the road, the other will brighten the footpaths around the Circle.
Speaking to Star of Mysore, Harsha Shivalingappa from the project implementing agency KRIDL (Karnataka Rural Infra-structure Development Limited) said that the poles are being manufactured by a firm that specialises in it from Madhya Pradesh.
“These poles are customised to match the Heritage City character of Mysuru. Each pole will cost about Rs. 5.5 lakh and the overall cost per pole will be Rs. 10 lakh including civil works, electrification, bulbs, GST, transportation, road cutting and also UGD works,” he explained.
Even a city like Bengaluru does not have such ornate lamp poles and once installed they will make K.R. Circle unique, reminiscent of the times of Mysore Maharajas, he noted. “This is the reason why a specialised firm has been engaged for this task. We have inspected the poles, tested the quality and then given a green signal,” Harsha added.
Although a couple of other lamp posts of different designs were installed earlier, they were removed as they were not found to be much attractive or have corroded over time. But these aesthetic poles have durability and longevity to withstand the vagaries of nature, without getting rusted or damaged, he claimed.
Tourism hub
MLA L. Nagendra said that K.R. Circle is one of the most visited and attractive Circles in the heart of the city. “The Circle is an integral part of Dasara Jumboo Savari and the cast iron lamp posts with heritage character will lift the ambience of the area,” he said.
Pointing out that D. Devaraj Urs Road and Sayyaji Rao Road are like M.G. Road and Brigade Road of Mysuru like in Bengaluru, he stressed on the importance of making the K.R. Circle more attractive and absorbing. “The installation of antique-look lamp posts is an effort to further promote Mysuru as a tourism hub,” he added.
We could be rest assured that these poles will go the broken and damaged balustrades way. Day light robbery and fleecing of public funds in the guise of development. Could not help noticing the unscientific lamp base blocking a portion of roadway posing harm to the motorists especially when the poles become defunct soon after installation and stop illuminating the impeding danger.
“Work on installing 10 heritage lamp posts with elephant heads on a 2-ft concrete platform underway. Soon, take a stroll around K.R. Circle after 6.30 pm and you will find decorative light poles fixed with glowing LED lights elevating the overall ambiance of the Statue Circle.
“These poles are customised to match the Heritage City character of Mysuru. Each pole will cost about Rs. 5.5 lakh and the overall cost per pole will be Rs. 10 lakh including civil works, electrification, bulbs, GST, transportation, road cutting and also UGD works,”
I can see the stupidity of the above approach in pouring so much money on a single pole. For a start, anything manufactured in India is certain to be of low quality, and this so called quality poles will deteriorate fast within a few years. The LED bulbs will be the target by thieves and constant replacement of them at a significant cost becomes a necessity.
Mysuru has lost its cultural and heritage tag, through massive development , and influx of very large population, which makes it look like any other city in India. The only difference is the Palace standing reminding about the heritage, of yore. This city was never a pensioners’ paradise, not even in 1950s as I remember those days. Just that it was a small compact which had a slower pace of life, as people could walk or bicycle to work.
When politicians in power in India, talk about heritage and the necessary enhancement of it, they are thinking of big contracts, and a good percentage of the budget money going into their pockets.
In the early 1950s, the then newly elected CM Kengal Hanumanthiah, proposed the shifting of the state capital to Bengaluru arguing about the fitness of Bengaluru to be the capital city, we did not at first, realise his plans to swindle crores of Rupees. After the capital was shifted, he argued about a building that radiates the pride of the new capital, and hence began budgeting to construct Vidhana Soudha. As he planned, the budget was massively overrun as this building was decorated with sandalwood doors and marble floors etc.. The contractors inflated their prices too, a good percentage of it found into the pocket of Kengal. The enquiry committee set up by him had his friends, and they cleared him of any corruption.
Thus Kengal set the way of how to get the contract money into politicians’ and government officials’ pockets.
Very costly poles for what? to illuminate a circle standard highmast 4 in number was sufficient. Our town planners have vipuritha buddhi for these Extravaganza. Yes no one is bothered as it is tax payers money which is illuminated. More the expenses more commission, more fund for next election. Let the elected representataives pay from their salaries.
Either the manufacturer is inflating the price for a mega profit or he is “kicking back” a big portion of the cost to the politicians. Either way, the cost of each pole is extremely high. Politicians can fool some people some time but not all the people all the time.
Taking a stroll around the KR circle after 6:30PM? Deathwish to catch the Indian Covid Variant moving with the teeming crowds of overpopulated Mysuru!
As for this very expensive ‘tamasha’ spending so much money on single light poles, yes, Kengal showed the way through his Vidhan Soudha construction ,how to channel the money into politicians’ pockets.
This is independent India working! Jai Hind!