Among animals man is considered a sapient animal with five sensory organs and also a sixth sense. One may call it by multiple names — gut feeling, omen, intuition or power of prophesy. Some people have the power to foresee what is to come either by observing the past events connected to a subject matter or an individual.

At present there is an ongoing scam and controversy that has erupted like an all-devouring volcano in our Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) that is threatening to destabilise the Government and even dislodge Chief Minister Siddaramaiah from his chair. This was foreseen as back as 2021 by the then Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Mysuru Rohini Sindhuri. 

She was doing her duty as a whistle-blower, but the Government turned a deaf ear. Now in 2024, just three years on, we are a witness to an administrative fraud, huge financial loss to the State exchequer and above all involvement of high and mighty among our politicians and bureaucrats.

The then DC Rohini Sindhuri had told Star of Mysore correspondent B.C. Thimmaiah in an interview on 8th June 2021 that ‘‘A precedent has been set, no Officer will dare to take on land-grabbers henceforth.” She then spoke of 2,991 small and big Lakes in Mysuru District and how they are being “killed” and then encroached upon, adding “you will write in paper and it will be forgotten. But you will remember this episode soon one day…” That day has come.

At that time MUDA, under BJP Government, had already passed the resolution  about the 50:50 site sharing scheme between MUDA and the land-loser. But, Rohini Sindhuri had nothing to do with the MUDA. She was just talking about land-grabbing.

However, MUDA being in news for wrong reason I must add my bit to this maze of a 50:50 scheme conceived with a mala fide intent and delivered with a sinister design to benefit the favourites among the politicians, bureaucrats and their friends. I was told that the 50:50 scheme is a deal between the land-loser (person whose land is acquired by MUDA) and MUDA. Under this scheme, MUDA will not pay monetary compensation to the land-loser but instead give 50 percent of sites formed on that very land to the land-loser. Not stray sites or from another premium layout already formed. I do not know, but let it be.

Being on the subject of MUDA (previously City Improvement Trust Board – CITB), let me recall my memory, as a journalist, about the affairs of CITB and MUDA since 1978.

I learnt there were less of politicians and more of experts in the MUDA Board. That was how persons like industrialist F.K. Irani, former Chief Engineer of Karnataka one G.S. Ganapathy and others, known for their expertise in Town Planning and integrity, happened to be in the MUDA Board. When I came here persons like Kengegowda and Kempegowda were the Chairmen. They were modelled after the politicians of the Gandhian mould. It was Kengegowda who gave us D. Devaraja Urs Road and Kempegowda who gave us Vishwamanava Double Road in Kuvempunagar.

Soon after, from the days of R. Gundu Rao as Chief Minister, CITB in Mysuru saw its steady decline and has now touched its nadir. The only other Chairman who earned the admiration of Mysureans was D. Madegowda.

Since the past over a decade, maladministration and corruption have enveloped MUDA so completely that many have suggested its closure for good and its residual responsibility of dealing with private developers be taken over by the Urban Development Ministry with a local office in                                                        the same building where present MUDA is.

In her interview with Star of Mysore, Rohini Sindhuri had elaborately spoken about land-grabbing by unscrupulous politicians and land developers of Gomala land (government land) and Lakes. They would first kill the Lake by filling earth, industrial waste and construction debris into the water body, level it and make it a land. The Lake is gone!

Rohini Sindhuri had told in that interview that ‘A proposal was sent to the Government to build Housing Board houses in the 61-acre Kergalli Lake land.’ However, for our good fortune, she got it cancelled. Wonder,  what happened to this 61-acre Kergalli Lake thereafter.

Similar attempts were made to encroach upon Lingambudhi Lake. Star of Mysore and its sister publication Mysuru Mithra wrote about it in the early stages and some honest officer, who came as DC, saved it to the extent possible.

About Kukkarahalli Lake less said the better. I have myself written elaborately about it. The sinister plan was to fill up the Lake with debris etc., from the main Hunsur Road side. Of course, later when Prof. K.S. Hegde was the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mysore (the custodian of the Lake), he had constructed an earthenbund across the Lake to prevent sewage and sullage water from getting into the main body of the Lake. But the seepage into the main Lake could not be stopped. Even to this day Kukkarahalli Lake is making news for wrong reasons.

This city needs a Citizens Watchdog Task Force of volunteers comprising qualified, retired or working officers, industrialists and visionary Town Planners with integrity to advice, guide and assist the DC, the  MCC, the MUDA and the Department of Urban Development. When S.M. Krishna was the Chief Minister, he experimented with Mysore Agenda Task Force. But like any government-promoted or patronised body, it failed.

I have just planted a seed of an idea, hoping it will break earth, sprout and grow to give us comforting shade and fruit to make Mysuru a better place to live. We must, as citizens of Mysuru, do our bit to avoid a Future Shock, which was prophesied by Rohini Sindhuri way back in 2021. God helps those who help themselves.

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