Mysuru: A street along with food court and a full-fledged Police Station will come up next to the newly-built multi-level car parking complex atop the Chamundi Hill to accommodate vendors who have lost their shops in the demolition drive. 

The proposal was announced by Mysuru District Minister V. Somanna during his inspection of the Hill yesterday. He said the ground-breaking ceremony will be held on Nov. 15. A shopping complex with 116 shops was recently inaugurated in the area to accommodate licensed vendors evicted in a massive drive. More than 200 shops were demolished in the drive and there is a need to accommodate the vendors in alternative shops for them to carry on with their livelihood.

The shop street will accommodate non-licenced vendors who have lost their shops in the demolition drive. According to the tentative plan for the structure, the shop street will come up in the area between the multi-level car parking complex and the main road and will have single floor shops facing each other with a pathway in between. The works are scheduled to be completed within three months. 

Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha said that the total project will cost over Rs. 7 to Rs. 8 crore and the funds will be obtained from the hundi collection. “There is a provision for obtaining funds and half-an-acre of land will be utilised for this purpose. No trees will be cut for the purpose and there will be no environmental damage,” he said. 

“In the parking area, a bathing complex will be built to facilitate devotees who come from other pilgrimage destination like Sabarimala to bathe. Along with shops, a children’s play area will be built,” the MP added. 

Full-fledged Police Station 

During the visit, the need of a full-fledged Police Station atop the Chamundi Hill was felt instead of just a Police Outpost that is functioning atop the Hill now. Somanna said that necessary measures will be taken to establish a new Police Station and name an Inspector there. There is also a need of installing CCTV cameras at various points atop the Hill, the Minister said. 

As of now, the Krishnaraja Police maintains law and order and the outpost has skeletal staff. As it is a sensitive place where thousands of devotees visit each day, there is an urgent need for a full-fledged Police Station, said MP Pratap Simha. 

The Minister, who telephoned City Police Commissioner K.T. Balakrishna, said the District Administration will sanction land and the Police Department should arrange funds for the construction of the Police Station building. He also directed to ensure safety of the devotees atop the Hill. 

Strengthening roads

Somanna said that steps would be taken to strengthen the roads leading to Chamundi Hill and the Nandi Statue atop it. A landslip had occurred on a stretch of the road leading to the Nandi Statue recently because of heavy rains, and traffic on the road has been restricted to facilitate the restoration work. 

He said that he has spoken to Public Works Department to ensure that landslides do not recur at the spot by carrying out permanent restoration efforts, besides strengthening the road barriers. The technology being used in places (hilly terrain) where landslips have occurred in areas receiving heavy rain and the restoration model will be examined, he said.