Sir,

I am referring to the news article titled “This 12-year-old work on Town Hall parking lot is a Public Disgrace” (SOM 24th July). This matter is not just a disgrace, but it brings shame upon the royal city and its administrators. Despite opposition and concerns raised about the construction’s impact on the beauty of Town Hall and its surroundings, the authorities proceeded with the construction, disregarding every suggestion.

As a result, the current state of the parking lot is disappointing, to say the least. I had already written to SOM on Dec. 18, 2022, expressing my concerns about this issue. It is disheartening to witness such an eyesore in the otherwise beautiful city of Mysuru. Visitors to the city are likely to be disappointed and may form a negative opinion about this otherwise heritage-rich city due to this unfortunate development. This situation highlights a larger issue in our country, where freedom often leads to a lack of accountability at various levels. The mismanagement of tax-payers’ money on such a project is a monumental example of this problem.

I commend SOM for exposing this blunder by Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), which has resulted in a financial loss to the exchequer. To address this issue, I urge the Government of Karnataka to form a High-Level Committee to thoroughly investigate all aspects related to this project and hold responsible officials accountable for their actions. Only through such measures can we hope to prevent similar incidents in the future and ensure better stewardship of public funds and heritage assets.

– MRG Murthy, Siddarthanagar, 28.7.2023

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