Mangaluru : MLC Poojary ’s strong plea for IIT in coastal areas

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Apr 16, 2015: Former minister and MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary who campaigned for an IIT in the erstwhile undivided Dakshina Kannada district, reiterated again that these districts  have not benefitted from any major investment of the state for any of its development projects. He stressed that  general thinking of powers that matter is that people of these districts are resourceful enough to ensure their own development and successive governments have focused their attention only elsewhere. 

MLC Srinivas Poojary stated no share of major or minor irrigation projects that are always focused on upper Krishna and Cauvery irrigations projects are here.  He reminded  the government that the sole irrigation project of the region at Varahi is languishing for the past 33-years. With the government now planning the Yettinahole project, the requests from the districts for funding for the Paschima Vahini project that will rejuvenate the underground water table is hanging fire.

The state government has left the final choice to locate an IIT to the Centre, while pointing to  Mysuru, Hubbali-Dharwad and Raichur as its priority for the IIT.  Coastal Karnataka has joined the issue  defence of an elected representative from erstwhile undivided Dakshina Kannada district in seeking an IIT either in Udupi or DK is on grounds of general discrimination of these districts in state sponsored development.

Infrastructure development in the region seen is solely due to efforts of stalwarts such as late Srinivas Mallya and T M A Pai, in their times and George Fernandes subsequently. The two coastal districts have also been left out of the purview of the Nanjundappa Committee report that under score only  socio-economic conditions in 125 out of 175 taluks in the state, gifting an IIT to the coastal districts can vastly have an advantage on  entire Karnataka.