Pleased with the overwhelming response to the Dasara festivities, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Friday said the State government was drawing up plans to make Mysuru a round-the-year tourist destination.
Addressing a press conference before inaugurating the Vijayadashami procession in Mysuru, Mr. Kumaraswamy said he had directed Minister for Tourism S.R. Mahesh and other officials to prepare a blueprint for attracting tourists to the city in large numbers throughout the year instead of just during the ten-day Dasara festival, which concluded on Friday. Already, special attractions are scheduled during weekends. The State government is now looking forward to organise attractive cultural events throughout the year at various places of interest in and around Mysuru including Brindavan Gardens, Melukote, Somanathpur temple and Kodagu.
Mr. Kumaraswamy said the government was planning to improve the infrastructure at Brindavan Gardens and make it comparable with Disneyland. “If Mysuru is developed into a tourist hub, tourism can provide employment to the youth and be a source of livelihood to several families,” he said.
He said Dasara festivities drew impressive crowds this year with officials estimating that more 20 to 25 lakh people visited Mysuru in the last ten days. The Flower Show alone had attracted more than 4.5 lakh visitors while Brindavan Gardens drew more than a lakh on Thursday. Similarly, the cultural programmes organised at Mysuru Palace, besides the music programmes at Maharaja’s College Grounds as part of Yuva Dasara also attracted many.
The illumination of the city’s heritage structures and the main thoroughfares was also enjoyed by a large number of visitors as well as locals during the festivities. This year, the Department of Energy had illuminated almost 60 kms of roads in the city, he added.
Work on NH
Looking forward to the early completion of the work on expanding Bengaluru-Mysuru National Highway, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said the State Government will pressurise the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for time-bound completion of the work.
He said a meeting had been convened to expedite the work. The four-lane road will be expanded into a six lanes, besides two lanes of service roads on either side. “We want the 10-lane highway completed in a time-bound manner,” the CM said. The existing highway is already choked with traffic, particularly on weekends.
When asked about the Bengaluru Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC), he said the meeting scheduled for Saturday will decide. “But, the project (BMIC) cannot be taken forward in the present form,” he added.
