City of Palaces to retain identity

Mysore, Jan 2: This royal city of South, widely sprinkled with heritage sites, has hit the fast track of urbanisation, altering the landscape that will in the coming years go beyond recognition unless steps are not in place to ensure that its rich heritage and culture is not buried.

Mysore is one among the 63 cities selected in the country by the Union Ministry of Urban Development for overall development under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renwal Mission (JNNURM).

The City of Palaces Mysore, which attract tourists from both domestic as well as abroad, covered 7,569 hectares in 1995 in terms of urbanisation, had grown by 22 per cent to encompass 9221 hectares in 2001 and the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) has projected the total area to be 15,669 hectares in another six years time.

Though the City is redefining itself with the surge of investors and large tracts of land allotted by the government to the corporate sector, especially the IT Companies, a road map has been drawn to chart its growth for the next 20 years without losing its original identity, unlike the developments that had submerged some of the prominent cities of the country. The City was expected to generate at least 40,000 new jobs during the next few years, which means its demographic profile is also set to alter, bringing in a dash of vibrancy and a touch of cosmopolitan culture, all of which were welcome sign.

Official sources told UNI