The Mysore City Corporation (MCC) Council on Friday passed a resolution against releasing Rs. 2.34 crore to the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) towards the restoration and conversion of R.K. Narayan’s house into a monument.
At the MCC Council meeting, members opposed the recent directives from the government in this regard and said the MCC was prepared to take up the restoration works of all writers including R.K. Narayan, provided there was a comprehensive project in this regard and special grants were sanctioned to the Corporation.
The Department of Urban Development had written to the MCC earlier this month to release the funds out of the allocation from the State Finance Commission towards the works.
At the council meeting, it was disclosed that the Standing Committee on Taxation and City Development Planning had reviewed the government’s directives to the MCC to release the funds and had decided to reject it.
The committee had resolved that no funds would be released but the MCC would take up the allocation from the SFC for public works. It had also resolved that if the Government sanctioned a special grant, then the MCC would take up the restoration and conservation of the writer’s house.
While the MUDA had earmarked Rs. 2 crore for the project, the MCC was directed to release Rs. 2.34 crore towards it. The project has run into controversy ever since the authorities stopped the demolition work last year and the government announced it would convert the house of the renowned novelist to a monument.
