Home for the poor: Church accused of 'false' claim

January 31, 2012

Mangalore, February 1: Members of the United Christian Association and Christian Reform Foundation staged a silent demonstration here on Tuesday demanding that some of the families residing in houses owned by the Catholic church be given ownership of the houses.

They demonstrated in front of the Bishop's house in Kodialbail. In a pamphlet distributed to journalists, the two groups said that instead of building 320 houses as planned, the church should transfer ownership of the land in which poor families are presently living rather than build new houses for them.

Allegation

The pamphlet said that 13 families residing in the compound of St. Anthony's Institutes of Charity were being evicted from their homes. Residents of the compound Irene and John were shown as beneficiaries of a housing project by the church as apart of its 125th anniversary celebrations, which was false, the pamphlet alleged.

The two organisations demanded an apology from the church on the issue.

The two organisations also alleged that churches harassed poor people if they failed to pay their annual subscriptions by denying burial services, or by demanding more donations when priests were invited to programmes by them.

The United Christian Association was represented by Secretary Jeevan Vas and the Christian Reform Foundation by Joint Secretary Augustine Rodrigues.

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Sambar to seafood: Everything’s about to get costlier in Mangaluru

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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