A total of 624 out of the more than 900 layouts developed or approved by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) have been transferred to the jurisdictional local bodies so far, said Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency MLA G.T. Deve Gowda.
The transfer of layouts developed or approved by MUDA had begun in November 2024 as part of an overhaul of the authority, which was mired in a controversy over the irregularities in the allotment of residential sites under the contentious 50:50 ratio scheme.
MUDA authorities had made it clear that urban development authorities were empowered to only plan and develop layouts, not transfer khathas and collect property tax under the Karnataka Urban Development Authorities (KUDA) Act 1987.
The 900 layouts including 17 MUDA layouts were under the process of transfer to 23 local bodies including CMCs like Hootagalli, Town Panchayats like Ramanahalli, Srirampura, Bogadi and Kadakola, besides a number of gram panchayats and Mysuru City Corporation (MCC).
Speaking to reporters in Mysuru on Saturday, G.T. Deve Gowda, a senior JD(S) leader and former Minister, said the new layouts on the outskirts of Mysuru, majority of which fall under the jurisdiction of Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency, had not been developed either by MUDA or the MCC as the latter was claiming that the new layouts were not their responsibility.
“For the last 10 to 15 years, there has been no development in these new layouts,” he lamented and added that parks, street lights and under ground drainage (UGD) system even in layouts developed by MUDA had not seen any development during the last four years.
The infrastructure problems faced by the residents of these new layouts will not be redressed without sanction of adequate sanction of funds from the government. The local bodies to whose jurisdiction these new layouts have now been transferred are strapped of funds.
The matter was brought up during a meeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had with legislators and officials from Mysuru on Friday in Bengaluru to discuss development programmes for Mysuru.
With a majority of the new layouts falling under Chamundeshwari Assembly segment, Mr. Gowda said there is no point is sanctioning funds for the constituency uniformly with other constituencies. “Even ₹1,000 to ₹2,000 crore will not be enough,” he said in an effort to emphasise the magnitude of infrastructure works required in the constituency, to ensure uniform development of outer and newer areas of the city along with the older areas.
He said, he has urged the Chief Minister to upgrade MCC into Bruhat Mysuru Mahanagara Palike (BMMP), and allocate sufficient funds for the development of Mysuru.
All the MLAs and MP of Mysuru supported the need to upgrade MCC into BMMP, Mr. Gowda.
To another question, Mr. Gowda recalled that an earlier effort to merge the areas falling under the gram panchayats on the outskirts of Mysuru with the MCC was opposed by corporators cutting across party lines.
“Corporators of all the parties including Janata Dal(S), Congress, and BJP opposed a merger with MCC unless the government sanctioned ₹5,000 crores to MCC. Hence, the gram panchayats were elevated to either Town Panchayat or City Municipal Council,” he said.
With the new layouts now transferred to the CMC and Town Panchayats, there is not enough funds in these local bodies to develop them. Hence, there was a need to upgrade the MCC into BMMP and allocate sufficient funds, Mr. Gowda argued.
Published – January 11, 2025 07:29 pm IST