Madikeri CMC has signed a MoU with a private firm from Mysore to “beautify” the city.
The MoU intends to spruce up Mahatma Gandhi Road (or Raja Seat Road) up to General K.S. Thimayya Circle with “fancy poles” displaying illuminated hoardings and bus stop’s at important junctions.
The MoU would be on BOOT (build, operate, own and transfer) basis.
The Hoardings will be owned by the private firm and they shall bear the cost of electricity for 5 years.
Seems the revenues generated will also pocketed by the private firm. After 5 years the rights to the hoardings will be transferred to CMC.
One has to wait and watch how the narrow and widing roads of madikeri can accommodate these “beautification methods” and how the hoardings will lit up the streets, when there is such a huge electricity shortage in Madikeri(daily power cuts for hours a norm) and when currently many roads in madikeri don’t even have a decent street lights.
Its obviously going to have its pro’s and cons. Better traffic movement with widened roads sounds good. Hoardings? Im not sure. I already think coorg is becoming a victim of tourism and in the name of beautification this will only be furthered. I hope the people of Madikeri will have a say because after the ‘beautification’, it may not feel like home anymore.