After deciding to waive the entry tax for non-State vehicles coming to Mysore during the Dasara festivities, the State government may also consider extending the same benefits to vehicles entering Mandya and Chamarajanagar districts, to attract more visitors to the festivities.
Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, who was interacting with presspersons here after releasing Dasara posters and brochures at the Lalit Mahal Palace Hotel here, told officials over telephone to examine the feasibility of this move and report back to him. Various stakeholders had argued for the entry tax to be waived for a month to boost tourist inflow.
Asked whether a gazette notification would help secure Central funds to celebrate Mysore Dasara, Mr. Siddaramaiah said: “let us examine it next year.” Dasara need not be declared as ‘Nada Habba’ officially in the gazette since the festival had been vogue for centuries, he said.
Referring to the constitution of the Dasara Development Authority, a matter which has yet to be addressed by the government, the Chief Minister said he would look into the proposal.
He said the government had sanctioned Rs. 10 crore for Mysore Dasara, of which Rs. 6 crore had been released. Besides, a sum of Rs. 19 crore was released to the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) to take up road and related works.
Mr. Siddaramaiah, who received a number of complaints on the poor road conditions in the city, including the unfinished Raja Marga, said that rainfall had come in the way of the road development. A few roads might not be completed before Dasara, but they would be taken up after the rains abated.
In this connection, district in-charge Minister V. Srinivas Prasad said that the roads were already being repaired; work would be expedited.
Referring to the proposed expansion of the Mysore airport, Mr. Siddaramaiah said he had met Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh at New Delhi recently, “who had shown keenness over the issue.” Mr. Siddaramaiah would meet him again, with a delegation of officials.
Mr. Siddaramaiah recalled his recent China visit and interaction with the Japanese and Finland authorities, who were exploring measures to invest in a bullet train project from Bangalore to Mysore and the power sector.
On the issue of certain taluks in the State getting deficient rainfall, Mr. Siddaramaiah stated that a Central team was touring the areas till Thursday and would soon come out with a report on the matter. The State has already submitted a memorandum seeking aid from the National Disaster Relief Fund.
