BDA commissioner rubbishes rumours of diverting site from temple to trust

April 2, 2014

Mangalore, Apr 2: T Sham Bhat, Commissioner of Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has rubbished allegations of diverting a temple site to a charitable trust run by Karnataka Health Minister U T Khader 's brother.

Stating that BDA has never yield to any pressure or inducement to allot site to U T Nasima Fareed Memorial Charitable Education Trust, Mr Bhat clarified that allegations of diverting BDA site is far from reality.

“The site in question (Banashankari 6th stage, 4th block layout) had been earmarked for any institution specifically involved in serving physically and mentally challenged. Among the applicants, U T Nasima Fareed Memorial Charitable Education Trust was the only institution which worked for the differently-abled,” he clarified.

Kukke Subrahmanya Temple administration had also submitted an application seeking the land to build a Vartha Bhavana '. They had already been informed that the site would not be allotted for any other purposes. Allotting the same site to build an information centre would have been a violation of rules, he said.

Mr Bhat also said that the deposit collected from temple administration and other applicants have also been refunded long ago.

False allegation is a conspiracy to tarnish my image: UTK on BDA site allotment row

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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