MCC releases Rs. 44 lakh for restoration of Silver Jubilee Clock Tower
Mysuru: The run-up to the State Budget is always marked by preparation of wish lists and this time, Mysuru Mayor Shivakumar will lead a delegation to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who holds the Finance portfolio, urging him to release Rs. 1,000 crore to give a facelift to the heritage buildings in Mysuru that are in dilapidated conditions. What prompted the Mayor to take this decision is the demand raised by JD(S) MLCs C.N. Manjegowda and Marithibbegowda in the Legislative Council asking the CM to earmark Rs. 1,000 crore in the Budget for the conservation of heritage structures in Mysuru that need desperate attention due to their dilapidated state. (See report on Page-8).
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration of ‘Avarekai Food Mela’ at Nanjaraja Bahadur Choultry this morning, Mayor Shivakumar said that he will lead a delegation to meet the CM at Belagavi where the winter session is on and seek Rs. 1,000 crore grants.
“We will go there in a day or two before the Session ends as the District Minister S.T. Somashekar has asked us to meet the CM there as it might be difficult to get him in Bengaluru after the session ends,” he said. The Mayor said that he has already discussed the desperate need to save the heritage buildings with Minister Somashekar.
“There are 213 legacy structures in Mysuru and of them, 133 need immediate repairs as any neglect will lead to loss of life and limb. We have information that the State is allotting Rs. 231 crore to repair the heritage structures and this grant is likely to come soon,” Mayor Shivakumar said.
“During our meeting with the CM, we will convey the urgency to restore the heritage buildings and the damage Mysuru will suffer if more and more buildings fall like it happened with Lansdowne Building, Devaraja Market and a portion of Maharani’s College. If the same situation continues, Mysuru will lose its Heritage City Tag,” the Mayor added.
Silver Jubilee Clock Tower
Meanwhile, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has sanctioned Rs. 44 lakh for the restoration of the Silver Jubilee Clock Tower located opposite the Town Hall in the heart of the city. The works will be taken up by the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage soon.
Mayor Shivakumar said that the clock tower restoration work should be carried out under the guidance of heritage experts from the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage.
In the past, the MCC had given administrative approval to take up the restoration works. Technical staff of the Department will take up the work soon. The Silver Jubilee Clock Tower also known as Dodda Gadiyara was installed by Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar in 1927 after completing 25 years of his rule.
In 2020, members of the District Heritage Expert Committee had visited the dilapidated heritage structure and collected samples of masonry material, lime mortar and a few iron pieces that had been rusted and sent to the Regional Conservation Laboratory (RCL), branch of National Research Laboratory for Conservation of Cultural Property for tests.
1000 crores? Plenty of money to squirrel away through awarding contracts for the so called tasks on restoring the so called heritage structures.
“During our meeting with the CM, we will convey the urgency to restore the heritage buildings and the damage Mysuru will suffer if more and more buildings fall like it happened with Lansdowne Building, Devaraja Market and a portion of Maharani’s College. If the same situation continues, Mysuru will lose its Heritage City Tag,” the Mayor added”
Just give up the expensive work on Lansdowne building and Devaraja Market, which were abandoned 50 years ago, as they were not fit for purpose. Lansdowne buildings shoe size shops did not have enough space for the expansion of the businesses, and Devaraja Market stalls under complex lease arrangement meant that the overhead costs in running them, left very little money to buy fresh fruits and vegetables to sell to customers. The street markets in expanding Mysore city provided cheap and fresh produce for customers.
Just demolish both. Also Maharani’s college building mentioned and instead build a modern building.
Unless Modi makes it a priority it can’t improve
https://youtu.be/-NiDnykot98
@Ramesh
Stop citing silly links.
Your PM Narendra Modi is least interested in Mysore or its heritage buildings. He knows well that the BJP will not win the next election. All his boasts about Bangalore as Tech city and that kind of garbage talking is for the purposse of attracting more cheap outsourced work from foreign companies.
He is now busy covering up the recent incursions of China into Himachal Pradesh, which the Indian newspapers and media , did not much report, but was the news of interest in Western media. I bet India had lost more territory now in this recent Chinese invasion.
@Ramesh
Stop citing silly links.
Your PM Narendra Modi is least interested in Mysore or its heritage buildings. He knows well that the BJP will not win the next election. All his boasts about Bangalore as Tech city and that kind of garbage talking is for the purpose of attracting more cheap outsourced work from foreign companies.
He is now busy covering up the recent incursions of China into Himachal Pradesh, which the Indian newspapers and media , did not much report, but was the news of interest in Western media. I bet India had lost more territory now in this recent Chinese invasion.