Mangaluru, Jan 26, 2016 : The 67th Republic Day was celebrated with great fervour and enthusiasm in the city on January 26,Tuesday. The formal Republic Day ceremony held at the Nehru Maidan in Mangaluru commenced with the unfurling of the National tri-colour by DK District in-charge Minister B Ramanatha Rai. He also received the guard of honour on the occasion.
In his address, Rai while highlighting the significance of the day also spoke in length about the various welfare schemes initiated as well as the achievement s of the Congress government in the state.
He also listed out the several popular schemes like Anna Bhagya, Ksheera Bhagya , Maitri and Manaswini. The Government has spent as much as Rs 36 crore for Anna Bhagya scheme in DK, he said adding there were nearly 2 lakh beneficiaries under the scheme. The Ksheera Bhagya scheme benefits 1.78 lakh students, he added. Rai also informed that an Ambedkar Bhavan will be constructed near Urwa store on a 1.61 acre land at a cost of Rs 12 crore. Speaking on the government move to curb lavish weddings, he said those who choose a simple wedding will get an incentive of Rs 50,000 while those having inter-caste wedding will get Rs 2 lakh instead of the earlier Rs 50,000.
Elaborating on the funds sanctioned for welfare of backward classes, tribals, SC and STs, the minister said Rs 177.85 lakh has been released for the backward classes under Vidyasiri scheme, while 94 Malekudiya students and SC /ST students who have passed SSLC exams in first attempt have been sanctioned Rs 7.8 lakhs.
The minister further stated that a sum of Rs 35 crore has been released towards disbursal of compensation to those who lost lands for the Mangaluru International Airport expansion project.
Rai said a sum of Rs 41 crore would be utilised towards construction of a new DC office complex at Padil and added that the tender process is already complete.
Mangaluru Police Commissioner Chandra Sekhar and ACP Madan Gaonkar who have won the coveted President’s Medal for meritorious service were felicitated on the occasion. Hasan Vitla, Superintendent at DC’s office, who has been chosen for the state government employees’ award 2015-16 was also honoured.
Sarvottama Seva Awards for 2016 were conferred on Manjula, Superintendent, Department of Women and Child Welfare,P Sridhar, Range Forest Officer, Mangaluru, Ravichandra A, Section Officer in SP Office, B Haidar Ali and Prabhakara, first division clerks at DC office and Ramesh, attender, Department of Horticulture, Mangaluru.
Anti-Yettinahole activists wave black flags at Minister Rai outside R-Day venue
Activists of the anti-Ye ttinahole agitation staged a black flag demonstration against DK in-charge Minister B Ramanatha Rai when he arrived at the Republic Day function venue, Nehru Maidan on January 26, Tuesday.
The protestors also shouted slogans against the Minister and denounced the state government for going ahead with the controversial project. The police who intervened detained Dinesh Holla of Sahyadri Samrakshana Sanchaya, Sudatta Jain and two others.