A still from Mysuru Dasara
Credut: DH Photo/Anup Ragh T
A few Mysureans have complained that they suffered a lot of inconvenience during the Mysuru Dasara Jamboo Savari procession on October 12, Saturday, despite having Rs 3,500 worth tickets each.
A M Preethi, a resident of Mysuru, has asked whether the event is ‘scam’ in the name of a festival. “Let’s not wait for a disaster like Chennai Air Show, to happen, to make amends,” she said, adding that she would take the issue to the Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum soon.
“Mysuru Dasara was an unfortunate scenario, for those who had bought tickets. Why, so many tickets were sold, if there was no planning? Or, was it planned to fail, thinking that the ticket holders should not reach the premises, due to overcrowding and mismanagement, like every year?” she asked.
A Basavarju, whose family also could not make it for the Jamboo Savari, said, his family could not enter the enclosure meant for the ticket holder despite having tickets.
“Besides, a security personnel said that we should have reached before 10 am, to make it. However, on the ticket, the gate opening time is mentioned as 10 am and there is no deadline,” he pointed out.
Preethi said, “As per the instructions on the ticket, we tried to reach Gate 1B, near Hardinge Circle. It was too crowded. We tried another gate, which was more scary. But, we had paid Rs 11,500 for three tickets, plus a premium fare for a taxi ride due to Dasara rush. So, we struggled and reached almost the front portion of the gate, where the Police personnel said that, it is not for our ticket. He asked us to go back to Gate 1B”.
“Coming out of that crowd was another struggle. Somehow, we reached Hardinge Circle. There, some security personnel guided us to another gate. There, we saw some boards which said that some gates, including ours, was the route for the chief minister. So, we were asked to go back to Handinge Circle, again,” Preethi recalled.
“At Hardinge Circle, the security personnel said that it’s too late and we won’t be allowed through that gate. At these gates, several ticket holders were ‘begging’, like us. Finally, they let us in a queue and we reached the same spot, where we were earlier told that it was the CM’s route. We were rejected again. When we sought an explanation, we were asked to go to the place, where we bought the tickets,” she said.
“Most of us, with tickets, returned home disappointed, after spending over four hours around the gates of the Mysuru Palace. There were no boards with directions in English; no support from those manning the gates; no separate queue for women, children, senior citizens or ticket holders. If they cannot make arrangements, why do they sell so many tickets?” she asked.
Speaking to DH, Deputy Commissioner, also Dasara Special Officer, G Lakshmikanth Reddy clarified that the seating arrangement matched the number of both gold cards and Jamboo Savari tickets. “We printed 3,500 gold cards and 5,000 Jamboo Savari tickets. While around 60 gold cards remained unsold, only 2,000 Jamboo Savari tickets were sold. Thus, 2,500 tickets were distributed, with a ‘complementary pass’ seal. Besides, the gates were open till 1 pm, when the CM arrived at the venue,” Reddy clarified.