Gen. K.S. Thimayya Memorial to be ready in 3 months

Belagavi:  The renovated General K.S. Thimayya Memorial in Madikeri will be dedicated to the nation in three months, said Kannada and Culture Minister Umashree. She was replying to a question raised by MLC Veena Achaiah at the Winter Session of the Assembly in Belagavi yesterday. The Minister said that General Thimayya’s house “Sunny Side” at Madikeri is being renovated and the project was sanctioned in 2013 with a budget of Rs. 5 crore. The renovation work is in progress and the government has released Rs. 45 lakh. As the office of the RTO was functioning from the General’s house, there was a delay and the building will be handed over to the Kannada and Culture Department soon, she said. It may be recalled here that it has been a long-pending demand from the people and ex-servicemen from Kodagu for a befitting memorial to the General. They argue that the delay in taking up the memorial works was tantamount to insult to the great General. The memorial will feature an exhibition of Gen. Thimayya’s achievements, two battle tanks, fighter jets and other war collections. Gen. Thimayya’s bust, a park and vehicle parking facility will also come up.