Former CM and senior BJP leader S.M. Krishna writes to Nitin Gadkari, Basavaraj Bommai
Mysuru/Mandya: Close on the heels of Congress MLCs Dinesh Gooligowda and Madhu G. Madegowda demanding the 10-lane Mysuru-Bengaluru Access-Controlled Expressway after Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, former Chief Minister and Senior BJP leader S.M. Krishna has raised similar demand and has written to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
The chorus to name the Expressway after Nalwadi grew after Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha urged Gadkari to name the Expressway after River Cauvery as the River has fostered rapid economic growth in the region. Moreover, many Expressways have been named after sacred rivers like the Yamuna Expressway and the Ganga Expressway and Narmada Expressway.
In his letter dated Jan. 1, 2023, Krishna said that Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, the benevolent king, had earned the sobriquet ‘Rajarshi’ from Mahatma Gandhi for his administrative reforms and achievements.
“Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar ruled the erstwhile Mysore kingdom between 1902 to 1940 and his far-sighted policies have been etched in the minds of millions of people of Bengaluru and Mysuru even now. His achievements need to be remembered by future generations and as such, the Expressway has to be named after him,” Krishna stated.
Nalwadi took up several development projects including the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam, the hydroelectric project at Shivanasamudra, the formation of Kannada Sahitya Parishat, Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant, Bhadravathi, K.R. Hospital, Sandalwood Oil Factory and Mysore Sugar Mill and others. These contributions led to laying a firm foundation for Karnataka’s growth after independence, the former Chief Minister said.
“Nalwadi cultivated a humanistic vision of community co-existence that shaped the Mysore culture rich in heritage and customs and there is a need to acknowledge his visionary effort,” Krishna stated.
Therefore, naming the Expressway after Nalwadi would be a great honour, he wrote.
This post was published on January 3, 2023 8:11 pm