Rail Coach Restaurant at Vivekananda Park: A clear violation of Karnataka Parks Act

Sir,

Questions have already been raised about the suitability of the Rail Coach Restaurant at Vivekananda Park, opposite the V.V. Puram Police Station.

One significant issue is the lack of available parking space nearby, which alone should have been sufficient to prompt the Railways to consider relocating the restaurant, despite its potential appeal.

A more pressing concern is the violation of the Karnataka Parks and Open Spaces Act. The South Western Railway (SWR) has a history of violating this Act, dating back to the early 1990s when they constructed the Kalyana Mantap in Vontikoppal.

At that time, Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP) and three nearby schools protested the move. The Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner even offered an alternative site to the Railway authorities.

However, the Railways justified their actions by citing colonial-era regulations that allowed them to use their land as they saw fit and proceeded with the construction of Kalyana Mantap.

If the MCC had strictly enforced the Karnataka Parks Act and the rules outlined in the Mysuru Master Plan, they could have taken legal action against the Railways and halted the construction. Unfortunately, both MCC and MGP did not leverage these legal provisions then.

Now that MCC has applied the Parks Act to prevent encroachments in certain parks, it is imperative they take similar action to stop the use of Vivekananda Park for the Rail Coach Restaurant. Alternatively, an NGO should take this up legally.

I hope that as a law-abiding institution, the Railways will reconsider and choose a more appropriate location for the restaurant, aligning with legal and community expectations.

— Bhamy V. Shenoy, Founder-President, MGP , Yadavagiri, 12.11.2024

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