Bangaluru : The high level committee meeting chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai here today has decided to conduct simple and traditional Mysore Dasara festival this year.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said all the rituals that are connected with Mysore Dasara celebrations such as inauguration of the festivities atop Chamundi Hills, Jambu Savari and lighting of the entire city for 10-days will be conducted. “We have decided to release Rs Six Crores to celebrate Dasara festival at Mysore, Chamarajanagar and Sriragapatna,” the chief minister added.

The high-level committee authorised the Chief Minister to select the eminent personality to inaugurate the 10-day cultural and religious festival.

According to the Chief Minister, the meeting also decided release Rs 8.09 crores pending amount of the year 2019. “I have directed the officials to maintain financial descipline and the expenditure should not cross the grant released for the year and ensure accountability as well as transparency,” Bommai said.

Several elected representatives have requested to establish Tourist Circuit in Mysore region. There are many potential tourist circuits such as Hampi, Badami, Vijayapura. “ I will discuss with the minister for tourism and officials to make optimum utilisation of the opportunity to increase tourist inflow in the existing tourism policy,” the chief minister explained and added, “Tourism has taken a hit due to Covid – 19 crisis resulting in economic slowdown. In this background, concrete steps will be taken to promote tourism.”

The chief minister directed the officials to submit an estimate for developing infrastructure in Mysore in connection with Dasara celebrations.

Minister for Cooperation and Mysore district in-charge minister S. T. Somashekar, Kannada & Culture Minister V. Sunil Kumar, Minister for Urban Development Byrathi Basavaraj, Chief Secretary P. Ravi Kumar, MPs, Legislators and other elected representatives were present in the high-power committee meeting.