Smart City: ‘Negligence led to non-inclusion of Mysuru’

B.A. Basavaraj said he would make efforts and submit a memorandum to the Centre for inclusion of Mysuru in the project list

Karnataka Bengaluru :16/07/2015: The Chief Minister Siddaramaiah pressing button along with other Minsiters Dinesh Gundu Rao (left) Ramalinga Reddy (3rd left) Roshan Beigh (2nd right) and MLA Bhyrathi Basavaraj and inaugurating Various Developmental Projects at Mahadevapura in Bangalore on Thursday. Photo: Sampath Kumar G P

Urban Development Minister B.A. Basavaraj informed the Legislative Assembly on Friday that there was no proposal before the State government on inclusion of Mysuru under the Smart City projects of the Centre.

In his reply to L. Nagendra of the BJP during Question Hour, the Minister said the Centre had already included seven cities from the State under the project — Bengaluru, Belagavi, Davangere, Hubballi–Dharwad, Mangaluru, Shivamogga, and Tumakuru. In all, 100 cities have been included in the Smart Cities list in the country.

Mr. Nagendra said Mysuru had not been included owing to “negligence of officials”. The department should initiate action against officials who had demonstrated laxity in the inclusion of Mysuru in the project.

When Mr. Nagendra persisted with the demand, the Minister said he would make efforts and submit a memorandum to the Centre for inclusion of Mysuru in the project list.

G. Somashekara Reddy of the BJP expressed disappointment over not a single city from the Kalyana Karnataka region being included in the Smart City project.