Koraga's stage day-long protest demanding healthy food

September 8, 2011

Mangalore, September 9: Members of the Koraga community staged a day-long protest against irregularities in the delivery of services to them and delay in the appointment tribal officers here on Thursday.

The protest was organised jointly by the Koraga Abhivridhi Okoota (Karnataka-Kerala), Koraga Zilla Samiti and Samgra Grameena Ashrama. A large number of people gathered in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner participated in it.

Mangalore MLA and the Deputy Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, N. Yogish Bhat, visited the venue and assured Koraga community of speedy action on the demands put forth by them.

Baalraj Kodikal, member of the Okkooa, said that they had not received "nutritious food" which was to be supplied by the Integrated Tribal Development Project to the Koraga community through anganwadis this monsoon. Under the scheme, the food is to be supplied to Koraga families only during the monsoon, he said, and even that had not been provided this year.

He said that for the last six months, the post of ITDP officer was lying vacant after the previous officer had been removed for irregularities worth lakhs of rupees. Posts of tribal inspectors were also lying vacant for the last five years, causing huge difficulties for the Koraga community. Mr. Baalraj said that due to this, people could not get enough information about government schemes, and there was no one process applications and so on.

Another major demand of the community was land. While the Koraga community had been allotted 600 acres in the neighbouring Udupi district, only 70 families in Dakshina Kannada had been given about one acre of land with title deeds, Mr. Baalraj said.

Deputy Commisioner N.S. Channappa Gowda accepted a memorandum from the protestors and said that he would rectify the problem of supplying nutritious food.

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Demand for Mangaluru-Singapore direct flight gains momentum

News Network

September 13,2024

NRI professionals hailing from the coastal and Malnad regions of Karnataka, now based in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Australia, have been urging the Indian government and airlines to introduce a direct flight between Mangalore International Airport (MIA) and Singapore’s Changi Airport.

These professionals argue that Singapore’s strategic location as a hub connecting India with East Asia makes this flight essential. They highlight that this route would serve over 12 million people from the coastal and hill regions of southern India, fostering stronger ties with East Asian economies.

The group, consisting of individuals from Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, Shivamogga, and Hassan, is spearheaded by Rajesh H Acharya, director of HQ Connections Pte Ltd, Singapore, and coordinator of the Singapore Tuluver community. Acharya emphasized the significance of the Indian government’s Act East policy, which aims to strengthen relationships between India and ASEAN, East Asia, and the Asia-Pacific region.

“This flight will open new doors for cultural, trade, tourism, and technological exchanges between these regions,” Acharya said.

The Mangalore Chapter of IndUS Entrepreneurs (TiE) has also proposed positioning the region as the 'Silicon Beach of India.' A direct flight would provide greater opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors from both Singapore and Mangaluru, boosting business exchanges.

Moreover, Singapore’s Changi Airport could see increased tourism from the Karnataka coast, while Coastal Karnataka would benefit from a surge in visitors from ASEAN countries, the Far East, Australia, New Zealand, and the US West Coast.

While a similar attempt in 2017 did not succeed, Acharya and his team are hopeful that this time their appeal will be taken seriously, tapping into the immense growth potential of the eastern half of the globe.

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