Mysuru:Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddharamaiah has written yet another letter to Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK) expressing unhappiness with decisions of the government. This is the fifth such letter that Siddharamaiah has written to the Chief Minister.
The new letter, written on Monday, asks Kumaraswamy to reconsider his decision on shifting the Film City project to Ramanagaram, which is also the home constituency of Kumaraswamy.
Siddharamaiah, when he was the CM, had announced that the Film City would be set up in Mysuru but Kumaraswamy recently announced that the project would instead come up in Ramanagaram.
Siddharamaiah, who had also held the Finance portfolio in the Congress regime, had earmarked funds for the Film City to Mysuru in his Budget. He had announced its setting up on 116 acres of land in Himmavu of Varuna constituency, which he formerly represented for two terms.
Pointing out that a Film City in Mysuru has been a much-cherished dream of the Kannada film industry, the former CM has said the City of Palaces has been a preferred destination for film producers from not just the Kannada industry but also from other languages, including English and Hindi. “With historical places and picturesque locations, Mysuru is an apt location for a Film City,” he has written.
“Well-known Kannada actor Dr. Rajkumar had also wanted the Film City to be located in Mysuru. I had allocated land for the same purpose. Mysuru is an ideal location for film shooting as it has historic places and more than 250 locations,” said the letter.
Siddharamaiah pointed out that the work for this had begun in Mysuru and it was in the larger interest of the Kannada film industry that he wanted Kumaraswamy to reconsider his decision.
“From 1945, one or the other film is regularly being shot in Mysuru. Hundreds of films have been shot at Navajyothi Studio, the first one to be set up in Mysuru. Besides, several young actors and new technologies in film-making have been introduced to the industry through Premier Studio, also in Mysuru,” he has said in the letter.
“Mysuru has been the favourite shooting destination for veteran film-makers as it has 16 Palaces, over 250 locations. It also has an airport now. Over and above this, it was also the desire of the doyen of Kannada cinema Rajkumar that a Film City be set up in Mysuru.”
“Considering all these points, I urge you to reconsider your budgetary proposal to shift the project from Mysuru to Ramanagaram,” he has written.
Refusing to comment on Siddharamaiah’s letter, Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who is also in-charge of Ramanagaram district, said it was not a matter that concerned his Department.
This post was published on August 8, 2018 6:56 pm