MCC going slow on policy on managing grounds?

March 7, 2011

ground

Mangalore, March 7: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Mangalore City Corporation appears to be going slow on adopting a policy on managing grounds in its jurisdiction.

Although the official machinery in the civic body has prepared a draft policy laying down specific guidelines on the issue, it is awaiting the approval of the council.

The draft policy with guidelines has been prepared following a direction to it from the Karnataka High Court in 2009. While hearing a writ petition, the High Court had directed the corporation to frame guidelines on granting permission to use any public ground.

The council section did table the draft policy in the meeting of the council on January 31, 2011.

However, the council led by the BJP referred it to the Standing Committee for Taxation, Finance and Appeals without initiating any debate on it.

Ranganath C.Kini, Chief Whip in the Council, told The Hindu that it was referred to the standing committee as it needed some scrutiny. But even after a month, the standing committee is yet to take stock of it.

Roopa. D. Bangera, the outgoing chairperson of the standing committee for taxation, finance and appeals, told The Hindu on Sunday that the draft policy had not been placed before the committee. Hence it had held no discussions on it, she said.

The draft has listed 12 guidelines. Public grounds could be booked only three months in advance. In case there were many bookings for a given day, the priority should be given to the first applicant. For other applicants, the corporation should give acknowledgements either rejecting their applications or suggesting them other dates.

But in this aspect, the draft policy has left some grey areas. It does not make it clear how it will choose the first applicant. Because it nowhere mentions that an applicant should mention the time of filing the application with the date of filing the application, for bookings.

It is not clear how it will select the first applicant in case of more people filing applications on a particular date (without mentioning the time of filing them) with all wanting a same ground on a given day.

It said the corporation could either have a prescribed format of an application for bookings, clearly specifying the date and time when a particular ground was needed. If not, it should ensure that application filed by applicants on their own clearly specified them.

If applications lacked them, the officials should reject them on the spot and issue acknowledgements to them. Such applicants should not be held over.

It said that the civic body should arrange for drinking water and toilet facilities in identified prominent grounds. The policy said that the civic body should fence the grounds owned by it and display boards to make people know that they were of corporation property.

It should appoint a security person for each such ground and he or she should have the entry key.The policy states that the civic body should maintain and record the land records of all such grounds by obtaining the records from departments concerned.

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coastaldigest.com news network
April 8,2025

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Mangaluru: Scoring an almost perfect 599 out of 600, Amoolya Kamath, a brilliant student of Expert PU College, has topped the Science stream in the PU 2 exams. Calm, composed, and quietly confident, Amoolya says the mock tests at her college were the game changer in overcoming her exam fear.

Coming from a family of doctors — Dr Dinesh Kamath and Dr Anuradha Kamath — Amoolya is charting her own path: “I want to become an engineer,” she said with determination.

Her success mantra? “I revised every day whatever was taught in class. I would reach home by 7 pm and then study till 10:30 pm. But honestly, I never expected the first rank!”

Apart from academics, Amoolya is a trained artist — having cleared the Bharatanatyam senior exam and Carnatic music junior exam. “Music kept my mind calm,” she smiled.

A graceful blend of intellect and art, Amoolya Kamath is an inspiration for students aiming to balance ambition with serenity.

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News Network
April 7,2025

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Mangaluru, Apr 7: In a chilling and heart-wrenching turn of events from Nadugallu in Nalakuru village of Sullia taluk in Dakshina Kannada, a mother and son’s desperate act to end their lives has left a community in disbelief. The duo allegedly consumed rodent poison in a joint suicide attempt, resulting in the son’s death and leaving the mother in a critical condition.

The deceased has been identified as 32-year-old Nithin, son of Kushalappa Gowda of Derappajjanamane, Nalakuru. His mother, Sulochana, is currently battling for her life in a hospital. According to sources, the incident took place three days ago, with both victims falling severely ill by the morning of April 6.

Nithin, an ITI diploma holder, had been managing his family's agricultural land. He had married Deeksha, a guest lecturer at a local college, about a year ago. At the time of the tragic incident, Deeksha was reportedly staying at her parental home. During her absence, Nithin and Sulochana allegedly consumed poison in what is believed to be a premeditated act.

Well-known in the village for his kind demeanor and strong social ties, Nithin’s untimely death has cast a shadow of grief and shock across the local community. His father, Kushalappa Gowda, is also said to be ailing.

The Subrahmanya police have registered a case and initiated an investigation to uncover the circumstances leading to this devastating event.

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News Network
April 7,2025

Mangaluru, Apr 7: A price storm is brewing in Mangaluru’s hotel and restaurant industry. Faced with skyrocketing raw material costs and mounting overheads, hoteliers are preparing to hike food prices by up to 10% within a month — a move that could hit the pockets of thousands of diners across Dakshina Kannada.

From milk and oil to LPG and staples like rice and toor dal, prices have surged, pushing both vegetarian and non-vegetarian establishments to the brink. Over 65% of hotels operate in rented spaces, and labour shortages are adding fuel to the fire.

Swarna Sunder of Dinki Dine says running a hotel without burdening customers is becoming near-impossible. “Costs are rising daily. We’re trying to strike a balance, but a hike is inevitable,” he said, calling Mangaluru a highly price-sensitive market.

Industry leaders, including the Dakshina Kannada Hotel Owners Association, are expected to meet soon to formalize the revision.

Meanwhile, hoteliers blame "unhealthy competition" for further disrupting the sector. “Some serve unlimited fish meals under ₹60 — it’s unsustainable and unfair,” said a hotelier, adding that such practices are forcing smaller eateries to shut shop.

Chandrahas Shetty, president of the district association, confirmed that rising input costs have left them with little choice but to revise menus.

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