Development works of Sri Shivakumara Swamiji Circle stopped midway

Mysuru: With the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) taking  up S. Nijalingappa Circle (Vijaya Bank Circle) development works on Vishwamanava Double Road in Kuvempunagar, the Traffic Police have partially blocked all the four roads leading to the Circle, which has hampered traffic movement on this ever-busy road, with motorists complaining about the severe inconvenience being caused to them by the disruption of the smooth vehicular movement.

The residents in areas close to the Circle also express apprehension about the possible traffic chaos when the Circle is fully developed with the installation of Nandi (bull) statue, which cobbles up a vast space. They also question the necessity of developing the Circle further, when the Circle has already become popular and traffic regulatory measures are in place.

The roads near the Circle have been partially blocked to facilitate execution of works, which  commenced only yesterday. The works being taken up include expansion of underground drainages and sewers and other permanent civil works.

The MCC, which has named the Vijaya Bank Circle as S. Nijalingappa Circle (a former Chief Minister of Karnataka), has taken up beautification, along with development of the Circle at a cost of Rs. 3 crore.

The tender has been awarded to a contractor by name Kantharaju of Mysuru and the works are expected to be completed in a year.

Though the Circle has been named as S. Nijalingappa Circle, the Circle will not have a statue of the late former Chief Minister, but a statue of Nandi along with a plaque inscribed with the logo of the MCC.

The MCC at its Council Meeting when Shivakumar was the Mayor had approved the beautification and development of the Circle.

Just a further distance away from the Circle on Vishwamanava Double Road, there is another Circle named after late Tumakuru Siddaganga Mutt Seer Sri Shivakumara Swamiji. This Circle is located at Jagadamba Petrol Bunk junction, where four roads from different directions intersect each other.

The MCC, which had taken up development works of this Circle too a couple of years ago at a cost of Rs. 1 crore, however, abruptly stopped the works about a year ago due to severe opposition from the public, who argued that the development would cobble up a significant space, disrupting smooth vehicular and pedestrian movement and causing severe inconvenience to motorists.

The development of Sri Shivakumara Swamiji Circle was accorded sanction by the MCC Council when Sunanda Palanetra was the Mayor a few years ago.

The residents then had also questioned the need for developing the Circle with the installation of a statue, when a statue of Rashtrakavi Kuvempu already existed in a park adjacent to the Circle.

They also questioned the necessity of having too many Circles with statues in the 8-km stretch of Vishwamanava Double Road, which starts from Kukkarahali Lake junction and ends at Dattagalli Outer-Ring Road junction.

The public argue that installation of statues will occupy much space, which will severely hinder traffic movement, with the number of vehicles hitting the roads increasing by the day.

Commenting on the matter, MCC Superintending Engineer K.J. Sindhu, who is also the MCC Deputy Commissioner (Development), said that the works regarding beautification and development of the Circles were approved by the MCC Council.

The beautification and development works in respect of Sri Shivakumara Swamiji Circle at Jagadamba Petrol Bunk junction was suspended a year ago following severe opposition by residents, who complained of severe traffic and other civic problems.

Pointing out that the development works of S. Nijalingappa Circle has been taken up now at a cost of Rs. 3 crore, she assured that the beautification and other civil works would be done in such a manner as not to disrupt smooth vehicular movement.

Former Mayor Shivakumar, in whose tenure the beautification and development of S. Nijalingappa Circle (Vijaya Bank Circle) was sanctioned, justified the development of the Circle saying that there are a few other Circles, junctions and intersections on Vishwamanava Double Road, named after                                             great personalities.

The development works are being so executed that it will help the residents and the public in the longer term, he added.