‘Petty politics’ further delays Surathkal-Kana-MRPL Road work

executive@coastaldigest.com (CD Network)
February 17, 2017

Mangaluru, Feb 17: The execution of the repair work of the Surathkal-Kana-MRPL Road is getting delayed further, thanks to the ‘petty politics’ being played by a few ‘local leaders’. According to Mangaluru North MLA B A Mohiuddin Bava, Right wing activists led by Hindu Jagarana Vedike leader Satyajit Surathkal are now blocking the commencement of the work.

bava
On the other hand, Satyajit Surathkal who is an aspirant for BJP ticket from Mangaluru North Assembly constituency in next polls, accused the authorities of going ahead with the work without proper planning.

“Mr Surathkal was insisting on taking up the work of widening the old railway bridge before taking up the road work. However, the road work has nothing to do with work related to railway bridge and it was being raised only to delay the work,” said Mr Bava. A proposal has been already made to the Konkan Railway for building a new bridge, he added.

Mr Bava also said that he was being falsely accused of causing damage to property of a temple in Surathkal for the road work. The news was ill-founded and no damage whatsoever was being caused to the temple’s property, he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Surathkal justified his stance and said that it was necessary to have a new railway bridge as it will ease traffic movement on the new four-lane road. The MLA has not thought of rehabilitating some of the small-time vendors whose shops will be removed, he said.

Muneer Katipalla, a member of Jokattee Nagarika Hitrakashan Vedike, said Mr. Surthakal has put forth a lame objection to stall the execution of the work. “He did not raise issue of the bridge when we were fighting,” Mr. Katipalla said. He also blamed Mr. Bava for not getting the work executed in a proper way.

Ironically, the Nagarika Seva Samiti, which comprises of Left-wing activists, too had opposed the Mangaluru City Corporation’s move to commence the repair work a few months ago questioning how the civic body starts work without formal approval of the tender. Interestingly, a few days after it blocked the work, the same Samiti had called for a bandh in the area against the delay in commencement of the work!

The repair work is expected to take up jointly by the civic body and giant companies that are using the 4.6 km stretch to ply their vehicles. While Mangaluru City Corporation has agreed to spend Rs 45 lakh, the Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd., Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd. (MRPL), oil marketing companies HPCL, BASF and BPCL and BASF have also given funds for the repair work.

Comments

Rikaz
 - 
Sunday, 19 Feb 2017

Forget about surathkal, who is he to stop you from working....you carry on with your beautiful work....later on you can look in to bridge work....like how it can be done....etc etc

lalitha
 - 
Friday, 17 Feb 2017

as soon as possible this work should be finished bava we are facing heavy traffic please do it.

karthik
 - 
Friday, 17 Feb 2017

u dont care anybody do your good work.

Jaikanth
 - 
Friday, 17 Feb 2017

power is in your hand

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News Network
January 24,2025

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Mangaluru, Jan 24: A high-level meeting to foster trade ties and attract Japanese companies to Mangaluru was held on Wednesday, focusing on leveraging the region’s robust infrastructure, skilled workforce, and strategic connectivity.

Hosted by Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Anand G. Pai, the session welcomed a Japanese delegation led by Prof. Gopal Mugeraya, Vice-President of Technical Education at NITTE, and included prominent figures such as Komatsu Shinya, Prefectural Assembly Member and Former Vice Chairman of Japan; Katsutoshi Seiwa, Director of Industrial Technology Innovation Division; and Kotaro Kurosaka, CEO of Sanyo Machinery Company, among others.

Anand G. Pai highlighted KCCI’s pivotal role in promoting trade and commerce, particularly the opportunities offered by the Mangalore Special Economic Zone Limited (MSEZL), which has already garnered interest from a multinational corporation. Pai assured the delegation of KCCI’s unwavering support to facilitate smooth business operations in the region. He also invoked Dakshina Kannada MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta’s "Back to Ooru" vision, urging Indians in Japan to invest in Mangaluru to spur local employment and boost MSMEs.

Capt. Chowta, who felicitated the Japanese delegates, pledged full support, including land allocation, streamlined compliance processes, and potential government grants. He emphasized plans to collaborate with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to secure additional funding for these initiatives.

Mangaluru City South MLA D. Vedavyas Kamath lauded Japan’s technological leadership and appreciated its interest in the region. He also commended MP Chowta’s advocacy for infrastructure development as a foundation for such collaborations.

KCCI Vice-President Ahmed Mudassar, Secretary Aditya Padmanabha Pai, and other key officials were also present at the meeting, which is expected to pave the way for enhanced trade relations and local economic growth.

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News Network
January 23,2025

Bengaluru: A suspected case of Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, was reported in Bengaluru late on Wednesday, marking what is likely the first case in Karnataka this year.

A 40-year-old man, who recently traveled to Dubai, has been admitted to Victoria Hospital and is currently receiving treatment, according to well-placed sources. Further investigations are underway to verify additional details of the suspected case.

Mpox raised widespread alarm last year when cases surged in several African countries and began appearing in other nations, including Pakistan and Thailand. In August 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox a 'Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).'

India's first confirmed case of Mpox was reported in September 2024. Last month, Kerala reported two additional cases.

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News Network
January 13,2025

Mangaluru: Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in Singapore remain determined to establish direct air connectivity between Mangaluru and Singapore despite setbacks. This follows Air India Express' (AIE) recent decision to postpone its planned direct flight service on this route, disappointing many expats.

In response, NRIs have proposed an alternative solution: extending IndiGo's existing Singapore-Bengaluru flight to Mangaluru. Currently, the Singapore-Bengaluru flight lands at Kempegowda International Airport at 7:40 AM, but passengers cannot board the 9:00 AM Bengaluru-Mangaluru connection due to insufficient transit time. Extending the Singapore-Bengaluru flight to Mangaluru would address this issue and benefit travelers.

Rajesh H. Acharya, director of HQ Connections in Singapore and coordinator of the Singapore Tuluver community, expressed disappointment over AIE's handling of the situation. "We’ve been advocating for this route since 2017, and it was close to becoming a reality. However, the sudden postponement and lack of stakeholder support have delayed our efforts," he said.

A petition has been submitted to IndiGo Airlines requesting the introduction of a direct Mangaluru-Singapore flight. Alternatively, it suggests extending IndiGo’s existing Singapore-Bengaluru flight to include Mangaluru. Expats have also approached Scoot Airlines in Singapore for direct connectivity. However, the lack of 'Point of Call' status for Mangaluru Airport remains a significant hurdle for international flights.

Despite the challenges, NRIs continue their efforts to make direct air connectivity between Mangaluru and Singapore a reality.

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