The 2012-13 state budget of Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda last week in the Assembly, though generally welcomed, has had little on offer for Mysore.
Compared to the over Rs 1,000-crore financial assistance to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and a big chunk of Rs 5,500 crore to Bangalore, taking the total to about Rs 6,895 crore of the Rs 8,797 crore budget allocation towards urban development, allocation to Mysore pales to a dismal figure.
Noticeable allocation made to this oft-dubbed heritage city comprise Rs 25 crore for renovation of the century-old Mysore Palace, Rs 5 crore for the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, Bangalore to set up a full-fledged unit, a similar sum to the century-old Government Silk Weaving Factory, Rs 2 crore for Shringeri Mutt’s ‘Sandesh Bhavan’, and for establishing the Auto Nagar.
State’s provision for tourism though Rs 100 crore, lacks a prominent allocation for Mysore although it is a popular tourist-centric city. The only specific allocation relates to a pharma park for pharmaceutical manufacturing and Laser show at the Palace.
Instead of a boost to tourism, a rise in vehicle taxes will be detrimental to this sector, which is already burdened by the higher taxes on tourist carriages from neighbouring states, besides oft-raised fuel prices by the Centre.
Expansion of Hubli and Belgaum airports, and making Shimoga and Gulbarga airports operational have been proposed at a time when most airlines are running under loss and any reference to reviving flights to Mysore’s Mandakalli airport, which is off the airlink after a brief period of flight operations by Kingfisher Airlines, is on the other hand missing.
Similarly, none of the demands of the city’s trade and industry, including the hospitality sector, has been considered in the budget, including monorail project. The plea for a special economic zone too has suffered a similar fate.
More From This Section
A Tier II city, Mysore is second in importance after Bangalore. It stands next to Bangalore in IT exports. It con- tinues to draw more visitors year after year. Except for the Palace, the tourist city has drawn a blank in developing tourism-related infrastructure.
The disappointment of Mysoreans was reflected when former Mayor Sandesh Swamy said, the budget had upset a tier-II city like Mysore which has been second fastest-growing city Bangalore in the state. The city’s need for improving basic amenities had been ignored, he lamented.
Meanwhile at a press meet At the weekend, District incharge Minister S A Ramadas claimed that pre-budget proposals had received priority in the budget. He said, Jet Airlines was likely to operate two flights from Mysore by April-end.
A regional development authority was being contemplated instead of a Dasara Authority for tourism and heritage development, which will comprise of proposals for a heritage park near the Lalitha Mahal Palace, mono rail, an international cricket stadium, and solar city, besides converting Mysore-Krishnarajasagar road into four lanes, he said.