Mysore/Mysuru: Personalities from different fields came up with their own ideas and suggestions on building the heritage and cultural city of Mysuru on futuristic lines at an interaction organised under the joint aegis of GSS Yogic Foundation and GSS-CSR focussing on the topic ‘Building a Better Mysuru with Vision – 2050’ at BSS Vidyodaya premises in Krishnamurthypuram here on Sunday.

Noted orator Prof. M. Krishnegowda who spoke after inaugurating the programme, said that Mysuru has its own speciality.

Driving home his point that tourism has reached insensible proportions, he said that cities and towns are meant for residents and not for tourists.

“Today, several cities and towns have lost their culture and background due to over tourism. We should not develop our cities in accordance with our lifestyles”, he noted.

Former BAI Mysuru Chairman  K. Sriram said that there are many tourist spots in the city and as such tourism should be given due importance. Promoting tourism will help in creation of jobs and augmentation of revenues.

“Construction of flyovers is not the only answer for addressing traffic woes in the city. It is important to note that many big cities of the world such as London do not have any flyovers. We should introduce park and ride system in order to check traffic congestion, especially during weekends and public holidays,” Sriram argued.

Noted SOM columnist Dr. K. Javeed Nayeem said that every resident of the city has a role in building a better and calmer city.

Stressing on the need for united efforts in taking the city forward on the right development path for a long time, he likened a city, State, country and the world as a whole to that of the structure of a human body.

“A minor problem in any of the organs will make an impact on the functioning of the entire body system. A society cannot live happily without peace and harmony. In order to create a pleasant atmosphere in city,  the Alert Citizen Team (ACT), a community focussed organisation aiming to enhance civic engagement and safety, was formed in Mysuru decades ago, through which activities are being carried out keeping aside caste, community and creed considerations,” he pointed out.

BSS Vidyodaya Educational Institutions Secretary R. Vasudev Bhat said that every citizen of the city should work towards maintaining the rich legacy of Mysuru that has been left behind by erstwhile rulers like Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar.

“Mysuru is often called the pensioners paradise. But at the same time, everyone should work hard for building a better and futuristic Mysuru. The city has become an educational hub, but at the same time we should concentrate on imparting value-education. Instead of making their children mark-scoring machines, parents should focus on providing cultural and moral education from the early stage itself,” Bhat said.

Senior journalists Amshi Prasannakumar and C.K .Mahendra and GSS Group head Srihari Dwarakanath too spoke.

Mysuru Hotel Owners Association President C. Narayanagowda, Mysuru District Journalists Association President K. Deepak, General Secretary Dharmapura Narayan, Dr. Gangadhar, H.R. Bhagavan, Journalists M.R. Satyanarayan, Ramesh Uthappa and Ram, H.P. Jyothi, Dr. Gajanan Hegde, Dr. A.S. Chandrashekar, P.N. Ganesh Kumar, Dr. Lakshminarayan Shenoy, B.P. Murthy, M.N. Nataraj, B.S. Krishnaprasad, Dr. Basavaraj R. Shreshta and others were present on the occasion.