The green hedges around the Crawford Hall — a prominent landmark of the city which houses the administrative offices of the University of Mysore — will be replaced with a compound wall of iron grills, with the objective of providing security to the building.

This initiative of the Vice- Chancellor Prof. K.S. Rangappa comes in the wake of a mentally retarded person assaulting a security staff of the University and breaking the glass panes of a vehicle parked in the vicinity, says engineer Mahesh Babu. The compound wall measuring 170 metres in length and 5ft in height is being constructed at a cost of Rs. 14 lakh. The Crawford Hall was built in 1947 at a cost of Rs. 12 lakh.

Similar grills were erected around the Kukkarahalli lake, which is a popular location for morning and evening strolls. Following objections from the public that the grills were not in conformation of the aesthetics of the place, the then Vice-Chancellor had ordered for their removal. But the grills have not yet been removed.

Mahesh Babu says that the green hedges will be re-grown over the iron grills to restore the past glory of Crawford Hall.

Lt. Col. W. L. Crawford and his brother C.S. Crawford of England, who studied at Mysore, gave a donation of Rs. 1 lakh to the University of Mysore for the construction of an Intermediate College for Women. Since they had not imposed any conditions, the funds were used to build a hall to be used for Convocation and house the Administrative Offices.

Courtesy : Star Of Mysore