Mysore/Mysuru: Ending the long wait of lakhs of Mysureans, District Minister S.T. Somashekar inaugurated the new and more spacious City Central Library building at People’s Park premises in Nazarbad here this morning.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar inaugurated the Digital Library, while Mayor Tasneem inaugurated a book expo.
MLA L. Nagendra presided. MLAs G.T. Devegowda and S.A. Ramdas, MLC Sandesh Nagaraj, Deputy Mayor C. Sridhar, Corporator M. Satish, MCC Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde, Department of Libraries Director Dr. Satish Kumar S. Hosamani, City Central Library Deputy Director B. Manjunath and other officials were present. The new Library has been built by Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL) at a cost of Rs. 5.34 crore.
No stage programme
Although the authorities had erected a stage for inauguration, no stage programme happened as the Ministers were reportedly in a hurry to attend other schedules. However, Ministers Somashekar and Suresh Kumar spoke to media persons after inauguration at People’s Park entry gate before leaving the venue.
The new library building has a long history extending over four decades. The then Maharaja of Mysore Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar constructed the City Central Library on Sayyaji Rao Road in 1915, when the city population was just 40,000. But as a more spacious building was required in accordance with the growth of population, the then Mysore City Municipality on Oct. 9,1979, handed over 400’x340’ area of land in People’s Park to the Libraries Department for the construction of new building, following which tenders were invited on Jan. 6, 1982. However, the construction did not commence for some reasons. Later, Dr. M. Veerappa Moily, who was the Education Minister then, laid the foundation stone for the new building on June 20, 1991. But the construction again hit a roadblock due to issues concerning handing over the construction to private contractors. Thereafter the project went into a limbo.
But the project got a push when Vasu became Chamaraja MLA in 2013 Assembly polls. Vasu as an MLA, along with his then fellow MLA S. Suresh Kumar, who is now Primary Education Minister, brought to the notice of the Legislative Assembly Appeals Committee in Mar. 2014 on the New Library building not taking off despite being allotted a vast area of land in the heart of the city. Vasu had suggested the Committee to construct a modern building with all necessary infrastructure and a Digital Library for students appearing for Civil Services and other such competitive exams.
Following Vasu’s initiatives, the construction of the new Library gained fresh traction with the Library Department submitting a fresh proposal to construct the building at an estimated cost of Rs. 4.80 crore. After the Project got fresh Government sanction, the construction finally took off in Jan. 2017 with the Government entrusting the works to KRIDL. The construction was completed in Mar. 2020. Now, after a long wait of over four decades when the new Library was first proposed in 1979, District Minister Somashekar inaugurated the new building constructed by KRIDL at a cost of Rs.5.34 crore, which includes building cost of Rs. 4.99 crore and compound wall construction cost of Rs.35 lakh.
September 18, 2020 will go down in Mysuru’s history as a “day in infamy” when the very government which is charged with the responsibility of upholding the rule of law failed in its duty.
I am disappointed that SOM which has published so many reports on the struggles of City’s NGO led by Mysuru Grahakara Parishat to ensure the preservation of city’s premium park has not mentioned even once why the construction of the park was delayed. In one place it was stated that there was delay because of the “issues in handing over the construction to private contractors. No mention of MGP’s PIL to ensure the implementation of Parks Act.
During these days when the world is increasingly realizing the impending catastrophe from Global Warming and we need to preserve our green areas like the People’s Park, it is a crying shame that none of our elected leaders thought that it was their duty to preserve the park.
It is only a question of time, when the library starts devouring the land like a proverbial camel taking over the tent, city will lose its park.
At least for historical records, Mysuru’s leading daily will publish an article chronicling the people’s movement to save the Peoples’ Park.
This day is indeed a “day in infamy’ for all Mysoreans.
@Barmy
Please stop bleating about this. Your Grahachara Parishad is just a talking shop of retirees who arrived to settle in Mysuru in 1980s and 90s.
By the way, do you use bicycle and walk, and have no petrol driven vehcle?. If the answer is YES, then you have a right to question, otherwise, best to keep quiet.
@Barmy , who stood for a elected position and was nicely defeated, soon after his arrival to settle in Mysuru: He is not a born and bred Mysorean , but a “chance Mysorean’, has no idea of this famous City Central Library, which students like me used in 1950s its excellent reference section which contained all the information of such references in those days like: ” Study Abroad” listing universities in the West and the how to apply to them. Mysuru then was a small place, and this was then the only public library, and it was good and welcoming to its readers.
Many students benefited from this, and a couple of them after studying in Germany from the information garnered in this Library, went on to become professors in the then IIT Madras. The City Central Library also had a number of engineering books, which we used to refer to , to prepare for our engineering degree exams. This Library had also a number of newspapers, including copies of London and NewYork Times. A friendly staff added to its pleasant atmosphere.
The problem with ‘chance Mysorean’ like @Barmy is that as the above poster put it, his Grahachara Parishat is a politically-motivated pressure group of desperate retirees, trying to get noticed. Countries like Britain and Germany which have strict environment rules and have Green credentials, from time to time had to relax and use a green site , if the purpose is to serve people. This Central Library certainly fits into its category.
SOM is read all over the world by expatriate Mysoreans who were born , bred and then left Mysuru after studies. @Barmy arriving late in the day to the City is fretting over SOM not reporting his Grahachara outfit’s rants! SOM has rightly ignored it!!
This Library which had rare books too, collectively is a heritage symbol with its books which the public can peruse and enjoy. Well done to the Mysuru minister and Mayor.
@Hellom hello! I agree with you about this Library.
I have fond memories of using this Library which had books like : Mysuru Kaipidi, essential for our Middle School exams in 1950s. I could not afford dictionaries then- bulky and expensive books, and I had to use this Library. I learned languages other than Kannada using books in this Library. Hence, those books, some of which I suspect are left even today are of heritage value. I also commend the minister and mayor for locating this Library in this Park.
I suspect’@ Shenoy relocated to Mysuru after 1970s, in which case, his house is located in an extension which itself is on a land cleared from forests and vegetation around the perimeter of Old Mysuru of 1950s. Hence, he like others who moved to Mysuru forcing extensions of cleared forest land were those who contributed to the triggering the Climate Change, and Global Warming. It is ridiculous that people like him argue about Global Warming, after achieving what they wanted themselves in cleared forest land!
MGP , from what I read and hear is a silly loud mouthed organ of a bunch of retirees who howl to get noticed. The Green credential suits their political views.
Is this same @Shenoy who argued for the development of the economically not viable Devaraja Market ( because of the plethora of street and local markets which sprung up and which sell fresh produce cheaper than those sold in that Devaraja Market, and hence caused its closure)
into an Istanbul Grand Bazaar, ignoring the obvious facts like transport connections to the rest of the world, the number of tourists from parts of the world and the site space, which make Grand Bazaar what it is in its centuries of existence?