Mysuru City Corporation’s decision to name a circle after late Congress corporator Ananthu has sparked a row with Mysuru MP Pratap Simha and Mayor Tasneem crossing swords over the issue.
After the MCC Council, at its meeting earlier this month, resolved to name the circle situated near Lalitha Mahal-T .Narispur Road junction after Ananthu, Mr. Simha shot off a letter to MCC Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde terming the resolution “illegal” on the grounds that the circle was situated on National Highway 766 that does not fall under the civic body’s purview.
He contended that City Corporations, City Municipal Councils or Town Municipalities do not have jurisdiction to name a circle that fell under the purview of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and asked the MCC Commissioner to immediately drop the move.
But, Mayor Tasneem, responding to the MP’s demand, said that Mr. Simha himself had approached the MCC twice with recommendations to name the circle after a late doctor. “Didn’t he know that the circle was part of the NHAI when he himself had approached the MCC with a recommendation to name the circle after the late doctor?”, the Mayor questioned.
Late Ananthu’s wife Ashwini Ananthu, who is now a corporator representing ward number number 37 in MCC, contended that the resolution to name the circle after her late husband was moved after recommendations were received from not only former corporator of the area Mahadevamma, but also several others including office-bearers of Siddhartha Sports Club and Ganapathi temple.
She said Mr. Simha too had made a recommendation to name the circle after late Dr. Satish Rai. But, after a discussion in the council, a resolution was adopted to name the circle after Mr. Ananthu with the support of members of both Congress and JD(S), she said while pointing out that Mr. Ananthu had died while he was member of the MCC.
Reacting to Mr. Simha’s letter, Ms. Ashwini Ananthu said the MP’s letter had questioned the authority of the MCC, which had adopted a resolution in favour naming the circle after Mr. Ananthu. “Does it mean that the MCC’s resolution and the Mayor’s ruling have no authority?”, she asked.
Mr. Simha, in his letter, has also said that the MCC, by adopting the resolution, had thrown to the winds the convention of naming circles after eminent persons, freedom fighters and achievers in memory of their sacrifices to the country.
Also, before naming a circle, the MCC should follow the guidelines issued by the Department of Municipal Administration, Mr .Simha said.
