Reported by HM Aravind in Timesofindia.indiatimes.com on Jul 22, 2012
Mysore City Corporation clueless about controversial building, reveals RTI reply - The Times of India

MYSORE: The Mysore City Corporation doesn't have details of a controversial under-construction building which is coming up next to Kukkarahalli Lake. That is the reply it has provided to an applicant who sought details under the Right to Information.

When B Srinivas of Vinayak Nagar applied for the details seeking the detail of the under-construction building, the civic body asked the applicant to ask the university. This, when the urban body is the authority to issue license for construction of buildings.

Following controversy surrounding the construction of a building next to housing blocks attached to the University of Mysore along a patch of land on Bogadhi Road, the applicant approached the MCC seeking information under the RTI on July 5. In its reply dated July 9, the MCC assistant commissioner (zone 3) has replied that the issue doesn't come under its purview. "It comes under the university limits and you can contact them," the reply said. Releasing the copies of the RTI reply, former chairman of Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) C Basavegowda on Sunday said: "This is irresponsible. The MCC is the body tasked with implementing building bye-laws." This is second time that the MCC has come under the scanner for its RTI reply. Some time back, the officials had provided incorrect information under the RTI.

According to Basavegowda, the building is being constructed violating the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) devised by MUDA. It was marked as open space in the CDP, which is now being violated. Though I've intimated this to corporation commissioner M R Ravi some 10 days back, it has not stopped. Today when I spoke to an engineer attached to the University of Mysore, he said the varsity is not building the structure and the land is handed over to the government. When asked, Basavegowda said he is not aware as to who is building the structure. "Even if it is built by the government or private persons, it violates the CDP," he stated setting July 25 deadline for the MCC to step in. In case the civic body fails, we'll hold a dharna at the site on July 26, he stated.