Coastal infra, fisheries, tourism to get Cabinet focus: U T Khader

Mangaluru: Friday’s meeting at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Mangaluru, held against the coming state cabinet sitting on 18 September, heard U T Khader, minister in charge of Dakshina Kannada, say coastal roads and other infrastructure, fisheries, tourism and industries will receive more weight at that Cabinet.

Industry and fisheries organisations, tourism-sector businesspeople and officials attended the meeting with him. He said representations on the lack of land for industry have reached the government, which will look at fresh industrial zones and will press infrastructure, including roads.

The Baikampady industrial area already has a Rs. 28-crore road-development proposal before the state. After Canara Small Industries Association office-bearers raised the stay of apprentices training there, he told officers to propose a nearby hostel to the government.

Chetan and Mohan Bengre, speaking for fishermen, described acute berthing trouble at the old-port jetty, where small boats cannot easily arrive with large boats. They demanded fishing jetties at Kasaba Bengre, Hosabettu, Thannirbavi and Kotepura and priority for dredging the river.

Darshan H V, the Deputy Commissioner, said that the use of 150 acres in New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) limits for tourism infrastructure is under thought after talks with NMPA. Santosh Kumar Shetty, chairman of the Mangaluru Urban Development Authority; Narwade Vinayak Karbhari, Zilla Panchayat CEO; Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy; senior police officer Dr Arun K; Corporation Commissioner Rahul Ratnam Pandey; and others attended.

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