Mangaluru, Sept 19: Karnataka is working on a new development trajectory for Mangaluru, with the government planning to focus on tourism, investment and infrastructure while protecting the coastal region’s economic and natural assets, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters during his visit to the Mangaluru fishing harbour, Shivakumar said the coastal region was not merely an asset to Karnataka but a resource of national importance that needed to be protected while pursuing development.

“Mangaluru needs a new development path. The coastal region has grown in its own way and is an asset not just to the state but to the country. We have to protect it,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the Karnataka Cabinet’s approval of projects and proposals worth around Rs 32,000 crore would contribute to development in the region. Of this, around Rs 16,000 crore was linked to rural development, while the remaining investments were largely connected with tourism, he said.

He said the government had also taken policy decisions aimed at encouraging investment in the region and would engage with investors to create conditions in which they could invest with confidence.

Shivakumar also highlighted the need to strengthen Mangaluru’s tourism infrastructure, particularly accommodation facilities.

“Mangaluru does not have a five-star hotel. The necessary basic infrastructure will be provided for this,” he said.

The remarks come amid the state government’s broader effort to position Mangaluru as a major economic and tourism centre on the Karnataka coast.

‘People’s livelihoods are our priority’

On the Kasturirangan Committee recommendations concerning the Western Ghats, Shivakumar said Karnataka had opposed the proposal in the past and maintained that its implementation could adversely affect the state.

“All political parties have expressed their views. That is why a special session has been convened,” he said.

He said the government was consulting people and gathering factual information and local views before taking a firm position.

“Before the special session, I am meeting people to understand the facts and their views so that we can take a firm decision. What has benefited other states and what problems have arisen for us are being discussed,” he said.

Shivakumar said the government’s priority was to protect people’s livelihoods while determining what could be done within the legal framework in response to the Centre’s decisions.

‘We will do what we promised’

Asked about the BJP’s response to the Karnataka Cabinet’s decisions, Shivakumar said his government would remain focused on implementing its commitments.

“We will do what we have promised. That is our strength,” he said.

The Chief Minister’s visit came a day after the Karnataka Cabinet held its first-ever meeting in Mangaluru and approved projects and proposals worth around Rs 32,611 crore for the region.