Dasara fanfare is over. The State Government had provided Rs. 10 crore for the festival and another Rs. 19 crore to Mysore City Corporation (MCC) to repair the roads in city. Yet most of the roads continue to lie in pathetic condition crying for salvation.
Despite the burning problem, MCC Commissioner was said to be more busy with CM’s programmes in city and is learnt to be still planning to invite tenders for repair of roads, a mundane process which no common man can decipher.
When Star of Mysore questioned MCC Executive Engineer Krishna Bovi as to what happened to the funds of Rs. 19 crore, he said that Rs. 5 crore was spent on repair of approach roads to Hardinge Circle and filling potholes on the Jumboo Savari route.
When SOM contended that Rs. 14 crore was still available, Krishna said that Rs. 10 crore was earmarked for road repairs for which the tender process should start.
Obviously Dasara works seem to be always getting confined to the area around the Palace and the procession route with the other roads in extensions getting a step-motherly treatment which continue to be in deplorable state or with hotch-potch repairs which open up after a simple shower.
Many Dasaras have come and gone, yet the Jodithenginamara Road [see pix] originating from Highway Circle continues to be generously gifted with craters which lie unattended despite many Mayors and Commissioners taking charge clearly indicating sheer nonchalance and negligence on the part of MCC.
JUSCO gift
The much-hyped 24x7 water supply to be executed by JUSCO remains a dream but the roads have been dug indiscriminately to lay pipelines and never repaired inconveniencing the residents.
Ironically freshly asphalted roads too are not spared indicating poor planning by MCC.
Adding further woes, telecom companies too dig the roads to lay the cables and refill mud haphazardly with no supervision by MCC. The poor residents of city have to bear the brunt of all these nonsense and two-wheeler riders are forced to manoeuvre through craters and mud mounds as if moving on lunar surface!
Impulsive decisions
MCC authorities are said to be known for taking impulsive decisions ultimately spoiling well-asphalted roads. The classic example is the stretch of New Kantharaj Urs Road [see pix] from Apollo Hospital junction to Akshaya Bhandar junction which has been dug to lay sewage line and refilled with mud haphazardly. The good road has turned ghastly now and when it will be normalised is a million dollar question. Similarly several such roads have been dug up for some reason or the other and left unattended for months.
Courtesy : Star Of Mysore