Minister for Cooperation S.T. Somashekar, who is also Minister in charge of Mysuru district, said efforts were being made for the all-round development of Mysuru.
Delivering an address at the 72nd Republic Day address at Bannimantap Grounds here on Tuesday, Mr. Somashekar listed the ₹108 crore project to illuminate Mysuru city with energy-efficient LED street lights, group housing project by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) to construct 4,000 houses, and ₹41 crore project to set up two additional waste treatment plants at Kesare and Rayanakare among the government programmes for Mysuru.
While the government has approved the LED street lights programme and the project will be implemented in a year’s time, Mr. Somashekar said survey was under way for the group housing project, which envisaged construction of 4,000 houses at good locations in the city for distribution to the public.
The Centre has sought to give a push to micro food processing industry in association with the States under the Prime Minister’s Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME), he said, and added that banana had been chosen for Mysuru district under the “One District One Product”.
Bananas are grown in about 12,000 hectares in Mysuru and farmers will be given training to add value and process the products, besides helping them in packing, branding and marketing.
Mysuru was one of the prominent cities in the State that was fast developing its economy, he said and added that the industrial activity in the district, which had come to a halt during the peak of COVID-19, was gradually picking up.
He said the situation arising out of the outbreak of COVID-19 had been efficiently handled in Mysuru district with the authorities carrying out more tests and keeping the disease under control.
The COVID-19 vaccination drive was under way and Mysuru district had received 42,000 doses.
With a view to taking the administration closer to the people, Mr. Somashekar said the State government had embarked upon a unique programme titled “Jilla Adhikarigala Nade Halliya Kade” under which the district administration officials will go to the doorsteps of people in the rural parts of the district.
The programme will come into force from February 2021 under which the Deputy Commissioner and the district administration officials will compulsorily visit one village on the third Saturday of every month and stay overnight while resolving the grievances of the public. This programme is aimed at helping the public from rural areas avoid visiting the taluk office or the Deputy Commissioner’s office, he said.
Mr. Somashekar also expressed happiness over Mysuru district figuring in the third position in the State for progress of work in Revenue Department.
