Minister for Urban Development Byrathi Basavaraj on Friday said a total of 60,000 LED streetlights had been installed in the city as part of the State Government’s project to replace all the conventional streetlights with energy-efficient LED lights.
Speaking to reporters after holding a review meeting with officials of Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) and Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) in the City on Friday, he said MCC Commissioner Lakshmikant Reddy had informed him that the remaining 10,000 to 15,000 LED lights will also be installed in about two-three months.
It may be mentioned here that the MCC, about a year ago, had begun replacing all the conventional streetlights including tubelights, metal halides and sodium vapour lamps with Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights as part of the State Government’s project. Apart from completing replacement of street lights with LED lights, several major roads will also get a facelift by the time Dasara festivities start this year, he said.
Mr Basavaraj expressed satisfaction with the progress made by the MCC in collecting property tax and water cess. The directions issued last time had been followed up, he said and added that he would be returning in the last week of August for the next review of the works taken up in MCC and MUDA.
He said the Commissioners of both MCC and MUDA had been instructed to take up sapling plantation programmes in their respective jurisdictions during the ensuing rainy season. “This helps greening Mysuru”, he added.
He said the MCC Commissioner had been told to pay attention to low lying areas during the rainy season and rush to the assistance of the people if any inconvenience is caused to them in the rains. Directions have been issued to immediately attend to their problems
With regards to the grievances of pourakarmikas, Mr. Basavaraj said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had recently convened a meeting in Bengaluru where a decision had been taken to meet their demands that were pending for three to four decades. By meeting the demands of the pourakarmikas, the State Government will incur an additional financial burden of ₹ 539 crore. He said he had discussed the problems of pourakarmikas with the MCC Commissioner and learnt that they were provided gloves, uniforms and shoes. “But, they were not using them”, he lamented.
Earlier in the day, Mr Basavaraj visited Chamundeshwari Temple atop Chamundi Hills and offerred worship.
