Move to privatise Mangaluru Airport, NMPT not right: Minister Khader

Move to privatise Mangaluru Airport, NMPT not right: Minister Khader

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Jan 13, 2019: Terming the late Ullal Srinivas Mallya, as the architect of Mangaluru, Minister for Urban Development and DK District In-charge minister U.T. Khader said here on January 12,  Saturday that two government establishments, promoted by  Mallya in the city, are now facing the threat of privatisation.

Addressing a gathering at a function, organised by Mangaluru City Corporation to present its second Late Ullal Srinivas Mallya Memorial annual awards, the Minister said Mallya was responsible for setting up New Mangalore Port, managed by New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), and the Mangaluru International Airport, managed by the Airports Authority India (AAI). Now there are moves by the government to privatise them. It should be opposed, he said. M. Veerappa Moily, MP and former Union Minister, presented the Ullal Srinivas Mallya Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award for 2018 to doctor B.M. Hegde. The award carried a purse of of Rs. 1 lakh, a memento, a shawl, and a citation.

In addition, the Ullal Srinivas Mallya Memorial Honarary Award for 2018 was presented to Ramakrishna Mission, Mangaluru (for social service); Manohar Prasad (journalism); Honeybal R. Cabral (community education and service), and Sara Aboobacker (literature).

They were given Rs. 50,000 each, a memento, a shawl, and a citation.

Speaking on the occasion,  Moily said that religion and caste should not interfere in the promotion of development projects and community projects. Politicians should have humility and honesty. Otherwise their political career would be short-lived.

He said that  Mallya was responsible for the promotion of national highways and setting up of the erstwhile Karnataka Regional Engineering College which is now the National Institute of Technology- Karnataka at Surathkal.  Moily said that undivided DK should not lag behind in industrialisation which is needed to address the unemployment issue. Sara Aboobacker stressed on the need to sustain the plurality of the coastal region. She said that plurality was the strength of the coastal belt and it should be upheld by one and all.