Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said his government wants to make use of the Dasara exhibition grounds here round-the-year and added an action plan will be evolved soon for establishing a permanent exhibition at the grounds that could be visited throughout the year.
Speaking to reporters here before leaving Mysuru after participating in Dasara festivities, he said a decision on developing a tourist circuit with Mysuru in focus will be taken soon, while thanking the people of Mysuru for their support and cooperation for the success of the festivities.
Mr. Bommai promised to celebrate the next year’s festivities in a grand way if the pandemic situation was conducive.
He expressed confidence that his party would win the by-elections to Sindagi and Hanagal constituencies and added that he would be campaigning for the party candidates in the next four days in both the segments.
The Chief Minister, accompanied by his family members and local elected representatives, went on a tour of Mysuru city on Friday night to glimpse the Dasara illumination. He watched the illumination travelling on the roof-top of Ambari, the double-decker hop-on hop-off bus introduced as the newest tourist attraction by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC).
Asked about his opinion, he said the illumination has been one of the highlights of this year’s festivities and it has received appreciation from everybody.
In view of positive feedback and the demand for its extension, the illumination has been extended for nine days from Friday. “I had only one meeting on Dasara and everything was organised in a systematic manner. The Minister in charge of Mysuru district and the local elected representatives did a good job with the support of the people of Mysuru,” he replied.
Mr. Bommai said the credit for putting up an impressive illumination must go to the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation, its officials, engineers and the linemen. “I am sure the extension of lighting will help in tourism promotion. I felt very happy to have seen the grand illumination,” he told reporters.
The efforts put up in Mysuru for organising the festivities and the outcome has also been commended on social media platforms, he added.
Master plan
The proposal to convert the expo grounds into a permanent exhibition is not new as efforts were done in the past for making it happen. But, no headway was made. The master plan for converting the Dasara exhibition grounds into a round-the-clock exhibition and events hub is yet to get the nod.
With the exhibition grounds now limited to holding Dasara events, leaving it unused for a good part of the rest of the year, the Karnataka Exhibition Authority (KEA) had earlier proposed to hold exhibitions, events, conventions and amusement activities there on all 365 days of the year.
Subsequently, the government asked a private agency to prepare the master plan, incorporating all the infrastructure and attractions for turning the ground into a hub for tourists through the year.
