BENGALURU: The Karnataka government has decided to hold a state Cabinet meeting in Mangaluru on September 18, with proposals concerning the coastal districts expected to receive special attention during the meeting.

Chief Secretary Dr Shalini Rajneesh has directed all Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and Secretaries heading various government departments to immediately prepare proposals relating to the coastal districts and take steps to place the necessary Cabinet notes before the government.

The move is expected to provide an opportunity for the government to take up development issues and pending proposals concerning Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada at the highest level. Karnataka’s coastline stretches across these three districts, with Mangaluru serving as the largest major urban centre along the coast.

The Cabinet meeting is also significant in the context of the state government’s plans to accelerate tourism and infrastructure development in coastal Karnataka. The government has recently moved to fast-track five coastal tourism projects under a public-private partnership model. The identified locations include Trasi-Maravanthe, Kodi-Kundapur Beach and Barkur Fort in Udupi district, and Kodikal and Tannirbhavi Beach in Dakshina Kannada.

The government has also been exploring measures to strengthen coastal tourism, with industry representatives recently proposing heli-tourism as an additional attraction for the region. Officials have reportedly informed the Chief Minister that 45 tourism projects worth around ₹719 crore have already been approved under the Karnataka Tourism Policy, with the projects expected to generate around 4,500 jobs.

Against this backdrop, the September 18 Cabinet meeting in Mangaluru could provide a platform for coastal districts to push for decisions on a range of development proposals, including tourism, infrastructure and other region-specific priorities.

The Chief Secretary’s direction to departments to prepare Cabinet notes at the earliest indicates that the government wants proposals from the coastal region to be ready for consideration during the meeting.

Further details of the proposals to be placed before the Cabinet are expected to emerge as departments finalise their respective notes ahead of the September 18 meeting.