Uncritical acceptance of the drumbeat that Mysore is poised to becoming a hotspot for industrial investment could lead to some serious miscalculations. Mysore has witnessed sharp rise in land prices and hyper building activity in anticipation of a ‘feel-good’ growth projection. The latest to flog such perception is the so-called Vision Document by the local Institution of Engineers (IE). See The Hindu story.
A recent PowerPoint presentation by experts told district officials pretty much what they wanted to hear. I wonder if IEVD (Institution of Engineers’ Vision Document), while talking of the city’s potential for rapid growth, notably in the IT and BT sectors, has made any reference to our knack for losing out projects to Hyderabad, Pune and Tier-2 towns elsewhere in the country.
Could anyone cite an instance where our elected reps./district admn./chamber of commerce have persuaded any specific investor to come to Mysore in recent times? It is time we stopped making much of the Infosys presence to make a point of Mysore’s IT development potential. Expression of intent by some other IT biggies makes us all feel good, but does little else.
No vision document drafted by anyone has failed to stress the obvious benefits of upgrading airport and having a double-track rail link between Mysore and Bangalore. These projects have been talked about for long and the tardy pace of their progress does not speak much for our official/political credibility when it comes to executing projects.I don’t know if IEVD refers to once-hyped, now officially disfavoured six-lane Expressway project. Its non-progress and hassles faced by the company executing the project doesn't inspire investors confidence, but gives us a sense of the politics of infrastructure development.
A very visible aspect of Mysore’s growth is mushrooming construction activity, mainly apartment buildings. Is it an indication of a step-up in industrial investment, or could the buildings spurt be the upshot of large scale speculative investment in real-estate development. Shouldn't the town-planners be wanting to get a picture of the extent of encroachment of government land ?
I do reckon Mysore has a future; as a commuters terminals for Bangalore. With rail travel time getting shortened to 90 minutes or less,one could expect influx people working in Bangalore moving their residence to Mysore.
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"A very visible aspect of Mysore’s growth is mushrooming construction activity, mainly apartment buildings. Is it an indication of a step-up in industrial investment, or could the buildings spurt be the upshot of large scale speculative investment in real-estate development. Shouldn't the town-planners be wanting to get a picture of the extent of encroachment of government land ?"
This could be 'get rich as quickly as possible' and 'me only matters' mentality of typical Indians. The rate at which the fertility curve for India is rising , the apartment buildings perhaps are the only the short term answer. In 50 year's time, I wonder whether one would see any empty uninhabited space anywhere in India. President Kalam says he would like to see a 'developed India' in 2020. More likely he would see India choking with its unsustainable level of population growth, would find its natural resources used up ,and would witness pollution rising to a stage where there would be no return.
Sir, dont you feel that with this rate with which mysore is growing there is a threaten of Mysore loosing its charm as Pensioners paradise, or the fragrance of mysore mallige getting mixed up with the polluted air of heavy traffic???
No doubt the IEVD has some good ideas but the real problem is while IE as a body with fund of experience in relevaant field,it has not beena ble to lobby with the govt to coopt them in drawing up the direction of development in various time frames so that it is implemented. I also do not know while drawing the report if there was an interaction with the public so that it acquires credibility. At present what is visible is the mushrooming of multi-storeyed apartmenta all over the place and the real estate prices shooting up. This is a serious concern for despite all the usual parameters that qualify Mysore's uniqueness I am afraid it is losing direction and can only become a satelite town of Banagalore and nothing else.
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