Mysuru pins hopes on minister Yathindra for long-delayed civic upgrades

Mysuru: The appointment of MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah as Karnataka’s urban development minister has rekindled hopes among Mysuru residents, who are expecting faster decisions on several long-pending civic and infrastructure projects.

Citizens and stakeholders are urging the new minister to present a clear roadmap for the city’s development while preserving Mysuru’s unique heritage and character.

Residents point out that despite being one of Karnataka’s major urban centres, Mysuru continues to grapple with several civic issues, particularly in the rapidly expanding outskirts. Poorly maintained roads, unfinished drinking water projects, inadequate stormwater drainage systems and lack of monsoon preparedness remain major concerns.

While large-scale projects such as white-topping of roads have been undertaken, many internal roads and stretches outside the core city area continue to be in poor condition.

Apart from civic amenities, Mysuru is also awaiting key policy decisions on issues such as the formation of the Greater Mysuru City Corporation, conservation of heritage structures, expansion of transport infrastructure, construction of the Peripheral Ring Road and the proposed Metro rail project. Residents hope that the new minister will expedite decisions on these projects and provide a long-term vision for the city’s growth.

Social activist Malavika Gubbivani said the city is facing multiple challenges due to inadequate maintenance and delayed implementation of development works.

“White-topping may improve a few major roads, but the same funds could have been utilised to repair several other roads across the city. A visit to areas outside the core city reveals the real challenges faced by residents,” she said. “White-topping concept is a failed idea in other cities. I don’t know why it is being implemented in Mysuru,” she said.

Former mayor Shivakumar of BJP echoed similar sentiments. He said Yathindra Siddaramaiah has a significant opportunity to leave a lasting mark on Mysuru’s development. “From heritage conservation to infrastructure modernisation, there are several areas that require immediate attention. The minister must engage with citizens, understand their concerns and act decisively,” he said.

At the same time, Shivakumar questioned whether the city would witness substantial changes, arguing that Yathindra had opportunities to influence development during his father’s previous tenure as chief minister.

Congress leaders, however, dismissed such criticism and expressed confidence that Mysuru’s development momentum would continue under Yathindra’s leadership. KPCC spokesperson M Lakshmana said successive Congress govts have allocated substantial funds for the city’s growth. He maintained that most civic infrastructure within the city is in good condition and that challenges are largely confined to private layouts awaiting development support. Lakshmana also asserted that the proposed Greater Mysuru City Corporation is likely to become a reality within the next few months.