MP bats for resumption of Mangaluru-Lakshadweep tourist boat service amidst Maldives row

News Network

January 8, 2024

Amid the India-Maldives row, Member of Parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel has urged the resumption of a tourist boat service between Mangaluru and Lakshadweep, instructing the Dakshina Kannada district administration to take necessary steps toward this endeavour.

At present, access to Lakshadweep is primarily facilitated via ferry and flight services operating from Kochi, Kerala. Despite its closer proximity to Mangaluru, Lakshadweep remains accessible only through Kochi, posing an inconvenience for tourists worldwide. Notably, Mangaluru has historically served as a transit hub for essential commodities like building materials, fruits, and vegetables destined for Lakshadweep via its old port.

In the past, a tourist boat service from Mangaluru to Lakshadweep had successfully catered to travellers, offering expeditions to Kalpeni Island at a mere cost of Rs. 250 to Rs. 300. This service even included specially curated tour packages for tourists.

However, the service has been discontinued for several years, prompting MP Nalin Kumar Kateel to highlight the growing demand expressed by tourists through online platforms. Addressing the Collector, the MP emphasized the necessity to revive the tourist boat traffic between Mangaluru and Lakshadweep, considering the increased interest and requests from travellers.

Sources within the MP's office disclosed that MP Nalin Kumar Kateel has actively sought information from the district administration regarding the requisite measures to reinstate the tourist boat service. Expressing the need to facilitate easier access for tourists, especially after PM Modi's recent visit, the MP has underscored the importance of reviving this mode of travel.

The resurgence of the Mangaluru-Lakshadweep boat service would not only simplify travel logistics but also potentially boost tourism and promote easier connectivity between these destinations. The initiative aligns with the burgeoning demand from travellers seeking direct access to the pristine beauty of Lakshadweep from Mangaluru.

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Voting underway in Karnataka bypolls: Family legacies and political heavyweights battle across 3 segments

News Network

November 13,2024

Bengaluru: An estimated overall 10.14 per cent voter turnout was recorded during the first two hours, since the voting began for bypolls to three Assembly segments in Karnataka on Wednesday, election officials said.

The voting began at 7 am and will go on till 6 pm.

More than seven lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes in about 770 polling stations in Shiggaon, Sandur and Channapatna, where a total of 45 candidates are in the fray.

While Channapatna recorded 10.34 per cent voter turnout till 9 am, it was 10.08 per cent in Shiggaon, and 9.99 per cent in Sandur, election officials said.

Voters, including women and elderly were seen queuing up in front of polling booths in these segments.

By-polls for Sandur, Shiggaon, and Channapatna are necessitated, as the seats fell vacant following the election of their respective representatives -- E Tukaram of Congress, former CM Basavaraj Bommai of BJP, and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S) -- to Lok Sabha in May elections.

As many as 31 candidates are in the fray from Channapatna, while Sandur and Shiggaon have six and eight contenders, respectively.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made in the three segments for the smooth conduct of the polls.

The by-polls will witness a straight fight between the ruling Congress and BJP in Sandur and Shiggaon segments, while in Channapatna, JD(S) which is part of the NDA alliance is in contest against the grand old party.

Among the three segments, Channapatna is considered to be a "high profile", where the contest is between C P Yogeeshwara, a five time MLA from the segment and former Minister, who joined the Congress quitting BJP ahead of nomination, and actor-turned -politician Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who is Kumaraswamy’s son and former PM H D Deve Gowda's grandson.

BJP's Bharath Bommai, son of Basavaraj Bommai, is fighting Congress Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan, who had faced defeat against the former Chief Minister in the 2023 Assembly polls, in Shiggaon.

Bharath Bommai and his father cast their vote at a polling booth in Shiggaon segment.

In Sandur, Bellary MP Tukaram's wife E Annapurna of Congress is contesting from the seat vacated by her husband, against, BJP ST Morcha president Bangaru Hanumanthu, who is considered close to party leader and former mining barron G Janardhan Reddy.

Annapurna, Tukaram and other family members cast their votes at a booth in the segment.

With Nikhil Kumaraswamy and Bharath Bommai contesting, the third generation of Gowda and Bommai families are in the fray in this by-poll. Both their fathers and grandfathers have served as Karnataka's Chief Ministers in the past.

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