Hindu Jan 18, 2026
In a letter addressed to Deputy Commissioner G. Lakshmikanth Reddy, MGP president S.K. Dinesh said, “As you must be aware, we from MGP have been objecting to any work that harms the heritage of Chamundi Hills and also affects its biodiversity for several years. We have been concerned about the carrying capacity of the environmentally sensitive Chamundi Hills. Our concerns were corroborated by the Bengaluru-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment.”
He said that when the PRASHAD scheme was first conceived and plans were drawn up, MGP had objected, raising the basic issue that instead of promoting Chamundi Hill as a “spiritual centre”, the scheme would end up converting it into a “commercial centre”.
The letter stated that when the multi-level parking facility and gallery complex were constructed, MGP had objected on several grounds. “One of them was the failure to undertake a full-fledged Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). MGP filed a PIL in the Supreme Court. Though we did not succeed in stopping the work, we succeeded in lodging our protest in a democratic and legal way,” it said.
With regard to the PRASHAD scheme, the MGP urged the Deputy Commissioner to draw the government’s attention to three important issues. Since Chamundi Hills was declared a heritage site in the last Mysuru Master Plan, prior approval from the Heritage Committee should be secured before undertaking any work on the hill. “To our knowledge, no such approval has been obtained. Secondly, as mentioned earlier, a full-fledged EIA should have been conducted. Again, there is no such EIA. Finally, instead of removing all illegal encroachments and promoting Chamundi Hill as a spiritual centre, efforts appear to be moving in the opposite direction of converting it into a ‘commercial centre’,” the letter stated.
The MGP urged the Deputy Commissioner to inform the government at the earliest about public opposition to the scheme and the protests by leading NGOs, which have been supported by the public through silent protests over the years, including online signature campaigns.
“Stopping the scheme would be the ultimate tribute to late writer S.L. Bhyrappa, who opposed projects promoting commercial tourism by stating that ‘Tourism kills tourism’,” Mr. Dinesh said.