Mysuru, Oct. 15 (RK&BCT)- The long-pending and much-anticipated proposal to form the ‘Greater Mysuru City Corporation’ (Bruhat Mysuru Mahanagara Palike) by merging the surrounding City Municipal Councils and Town Panchayats with the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has hit a roadblock, with the State Government officially withdrawing the plan.

The move comes as a setback to many Mysureans who had envisioned their rapidly growing cultural city being elevated to Grade-1 municipal status, which would have brought greater administrative and developmental advantages to the region.

The proposal sought to bring together five City and Town Municipal Councils and seven Gram Panchayats — comprising a total of 20 villages — under a unified Urban Body.

Financial constraints

However, citing financial constraints, the State Finance Department advised deferring the project to the next fiscal year.

Acting on this recommendation, Prabhuling Kavalikatti, Director of the Directorate of Municipal Administration, issued an order on Sept. 16, formally withdrawing the proposal and postponing it to the next financial year.

The idea of creating a Greater Mysuru was first mooted in 2008 and gained traction over the years amid increasing public demand and political support. With Mysuru’s rapid horizontal growth and the expansion of residential areas beyond the Outer Ring Road (ORR), the concept found renewed momentum among elected representatives.

Feasibility study

Following Government directives, the Mysuru District Administration carried out a feasibility study and submitted a detailed report recommending the merger of adjoining Urban and Rural Local Bodies into an expanded Municipal Corporation. A formal proposal was then sent to the Government by Deputy Commissioner (DC) G. Lakshmikanth Reddy, underscoring the need to extend the MCC’s jurisdiction.

According to the report, Mysuru’s population would have risen from 13.30 lakh to 16.80 lakh with the inclusion of the surrounding Local Bodies. Newly developed layouts in the Chamundeshwari Constituency, currently outside city limits, would also have been brought under the proposed Greater Mysuru City Corporation’s jurisdiction.

Major driver of growth

The Chamundeshwari Constituency alone comprises nearly 900 MUDA-developed and MUDA-approved layouts that have been transferred to Local Bodies. Presently, the responsibility of maintaining and developing these areas lies with the Town Panchayats, which lack the financial strength to execute major developmental works.

Recognising these challenges, Chamundeshwari MLA G.T. Devegowda had voiced strong support for the Greater Mysuru initiative, viewing it as a major driver of regional growth.

However, resistance reportedly came from several Congress leaders and sitting MCC members, who opposed the merger for political and administrative reasons. Their objections, coupled with the Finance Department’s caution, ultimately led to the proposal being shelved.

With Government’s withdrawal order, the vision of a unified and expansive Greater Mysuru remains unrealised for now.