Senior Kannada poet, activist former legislator Dr Siddalingaiah dies due to post covid illness

Mangaluru: The long-awaited DC office complex in Padil is nearing completion, with plans underway to inaugurate the facility during Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s visit to Mangaluru for the State Olympics meet on January 17. Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker U T Khader inspected the site and emphasized the urgency of completing the ₹75 crore project within the set deadline.

“We aim to finish the work by January 10 so that the inauguration can align with the Chief Minister’s visit. However, the final decision will depend on the project’s readiness by then,” Khader stated during his site inspection.

The ambitious project, reflecting the rich Tulu Nadu heritage in its design, received administrative approval on April 28, 2015. Following delays, the work order was issued on February 3, 2018, and construction began on March 17, 2018. Khader assured that the building's traditional architecture will extend to its surroundings, including an aesthetically designed entrance gate.

Spread across 5.89 acres, the complex boasts a total plinth area of 21,054.88 sq m, encompassing multiple levels:

Basement: 4043.88 sq m
Ground Floor: 7553.36 sq m
First Floor: 4158.94 sq m
Second and Third Floors: 2561.28 sq m each
Roof 1 and 2: 88.07 sq m each

The facility aims to centralize government services by housing most departments—except Revenue and RDPR—under one roof. This initiative, Khader highlighted, will streamline operations, save time, and enhance convenience for both officials and the public.

"Officials have been directed to expedite the remaining work, ensuring its timely completion," he added, reaffirming the government’s commitment to creating a functional and visually iconic administrative hub for the region.

In a no-holds-barred attack on RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his remark that India got "true independence" after the Ram Temple in Ayodhya was consecrated, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today said the comment amounted to "treason" and that Mr Bhagwat would be arrested and tried if he was in any other country.

Mr Gandhi was addressing an event to mark the inauguration of the new Congress headquarters in Delhi. "We are getting a new headquarters at a very particular time. I think it's quite symbolic that yesterday, the chief of the RSS said that India never achieved Independence in 1947. He said true Independence in India was achieved when the Ram Mandir was built. He says that the Constitution was not the symbol of our freedom."

"Mohan Bhagwat has the audacity to inform the nation every two or three days what he thinks about the Independence movement, what he thinks about the Constitution. What he has said yesterday is treason because it is stating that the Constitution is invalid, it is stating that everything (done) to fight against the British was invalid and he has the audacity to say this publicly," Mr Gandhi said, adding, "in any other country, he would be arrested and tried".

"To say that India did not get Independence in 1947 is an insult to every single Indian and it's about time we stop listening to this nonsense that these people think they can just keep parroting out and shouting and screaming," the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha said.

Mr Bhagwat was in Indore on Monday to present the National Devi Ahilya award to Champat Rai, general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Addressing a gathering there, he said the day of the consecration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya should be celebrated as "Pratishtha Dwadashi" as it marks the "true independence" of Bharat. 

"India, which faced enemy attacks for centuries, witnessed its true independence that day. We had independence, but it had not been established. India got political independence on August 15, 1947, we also brought a Constitution but the country did not run in its spirit. How can we accept that dreams have been fulfilled and pain alleviated? Our swa (self) is Ram, Krishna and Shiva. Do they belong only to those who worship them? No. Ram connects people from north to south, Krishna from east to west and Shiva is in every particle of Bharat," he said.

Udupi: Karnataka Kreedakoota-2025, a sports event organised by the Youth Empowerment and Sports Department, Karnataka Olympic Association, and the District Administration, will be held in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts from January 17 to January 23.

The event will feature 1,373 athletes participating in a variety of sports, including kayaking, canoeing, archery, cycling, wrestling, boxing, hockey, lawn tennis, table tennis, Kabaddi, Judo, and athletics.

Deputy Commissioner Vidya Kumari K addressed a press conference on Monday, providing details about the events in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada.

According to her, while volleyball, basketball, and swimming competitions will take place in Dakshina Kannada, events like kayaking and canoeing will be held in Brahmavara’s Swarna River, and archery will take place at the MJC Ground in Manipal.

Marena Sports Complex in Manipal will host lawn tennis and table tennis matches, she added.

The opening ceremony will take place on January 17 in Mangaluru and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will be inaugurating the event.

The closing ceremony will be held in Udupi on January 23, with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and Home Minister G Parameshwar attending.

The district administration, in collaboration with Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, has made provisions for accommodation and food for the participants, said the DC.

She also said the synthetic track at the Mahatma Gandhi District Stadium in Ajjarakad is undergoing repair work after its 10-year durability period ended in 2023, to provide athletes better infrastructure.