Ivan D’Souza urges state to hold cabinet meeting in Mangaluru, pushes for renaming of Dakshina Kannada district

Ivan D’Souza urges state to hold cabinet meeting in Mangaluru, pushes for renaming of Dakshina Kannada district

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, July 5, 2025: Legislative Council member Ivan D’Souza has stated that after cabinet meetings have already been held outside Bengaluru — in Chamarajanagar, Nandi Hills, and Kalaburagi — and the upcoming meeting is scheduled in Vijayapura, the state government will be urged to hold a cabinet meeting in Mangaluru to support the development of coastal districts.

Speaking at a press conference held at the MCC office on Saturday, he said a cabinet meeting in the coastal region, including Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, would help draw ministers’ attention to the unique issues of these districts.

 

 

He added that while discussions on promoting tourism in coastal Karnataka have taken place at the state level, no major tourism projects have yet been announced for the region. There is a need to develop coastal tourism in alignment with the local fishing industry. At the same time, discussions are underway to rename Dakshina Kannada district as Mangaluru district, since the name "Mangaluru" enjoys international recognition. Several districts have already undergone renaming, and a cabinet meeting must be convened to approve the same for this district, he urged.

He stressed the need for a special package for the development of Mangalore University, established in 1980. Although the Mangaluru airport has been designated an international airport, its growth has not matched the announcement. Due to its tabletop runway, airport expansion requires ₹30,000 crore in funding. Development should also be aligned with the educational prominence of the undivided Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. A cabinet meeting in Mangaluru would allow for productive discussions beneficial to the region’s growth, he added.

Ivan D’Souza also mentioned that a high-level meeting on the issues of sand and laterite stone is being held in Bengaluru today. He urged the authorities to simplify regulations legally to ensure easy and legal availability of sand and stone. Measures must also be taken at the state level to reduce the royalty on laterite stone, he said.

He referred to an earlier proposal by MLA Harish Poonja in a KDP meeting, suggesting that dried-up streams and stormwater drains be cleared and the land be repurposed for roads. This would reduce flooding risks and should be facilitated under the supervision of Panchayat PDOs. A separate sand policy for coastal regions should be seriously considered, he emphasized.

He also welcomed the government’s decision to issue free permits to e-autos and allow them to operate on a rental basis similar to other autos. He said he had not only fought for a law regarding this but also raised the issue in the Legislative Council. After assurances from the Transport Minister and delay in implementation, the matter was raised again with the assurance committee, leading to the final order. This will regulate over 1,000 e-autos in the city and reduce congestion. Since rentals will be limited to designated permit zones, the problems faced by regular auto drivers will also be addressed.

Present at the press conference were Bhaskar, Nagendra Kumar, Keshava Maroli, Satish Pengal, Prem Ballalbaugh, James, Vasant Shetty, and Meena Tellis.

On illegal sand mining and other unlawful activities, Ivan D’Souza acknowledged that strict action is now being taken by the current officials in the district — a positive step. However, he criticized BJP MLA Vedavyas Kamath’s recent statement claiming "not even one stone is available." He accused the BJP of attempting to exploit the issue for political gain and questioned why, during their tenure, illegal activities were allowed to flourish.