Mangaluru: Politicians, groups slammed for silence over RTI activist murder

[email protected] (CD Network | Chakravarthi)

April 15, 2016

Mangaluru, Apr 15: A small group of human rights activists and rationalists of Mangaluru have slammed the “silence” of political parties and other groups over the murder of 51-year-old Right to Information activist Vinayak Panduranga Baliga, who was hacked to death on March 21.

They staged a protest under the aegis of Deshapremi Sanghatanegala Okkoota on Friday in the city and demanded proper investigation into Baliga murder case and payment of compensation to the family members.

Addressing the protesters, rationalist Narendra Nayak said that while political parties organise demonstrations for cattle theft and immoral policing incidents, there has been no protests condemning the murder of Vinayak Baliga.

District in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai, Minister of State for Youth Empowerment K. Abhayachandra Jain and the two MLAs, J.R. Lobo and Mohiuddin Bava, have not spoken a word against the crime. Mr. Nayak said that senior Congress Leader B. Janardhana Poojary too was silent in the matter.

Mr. Nayak said that Vinayak Baliga had filed applications questioning several illegal constructions in the city. He had also questioned the affairs of Venkataramana Temple.

“The perpetrators might think that the murder of Vinayk Baliga will make infructuous the legal fight started by Vinayak Baliga. We will not allow this to happen. We will ensure that the legal fight reaches its logical conclusion,” Mr. Nayak said.

Mr. Nayak said that they were with Police Commissioner M. Chandra Sekhar and his team of officers who are making efforts to go deep into the murder and arrest those involved in it.

Councillor Dayanand Shetty said that it was sad that Bharatiya Janata Party and MP Nalin Kumar Kateel was not speaking out against the murder of Vinayak Baliga, who was an active party worker. He sought compensation of Rs. 25 lakh compensation to Vinayak Baliga's family.

All India Congress Committee member P.V. Mohan, activist Suresh Shetty and Democratic Youth Federation of India's activist Santosh Bajal participated in the demonstration.

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Yaa Allah.
Please help his parents.

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Mangaluru’s public transport revolution: 100 new govt electric buses to end private ‘trip-cutting’

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: Public transport in Mangaluru is set for a state-led transformation as the government moves to deploy 100 new electric govt buses to replace unreliable private services. The initiative aims to provide a dependable alternative to private operators who have been frequently "cutting trips," leaving thousands of commuters stranded.

The announcement was made by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV during a public phone-in session. The move specifically targets routes where private bus service has become erratic, ensuring that citizens no longer have to rely on a fluctuating private sector for their daily commute.

Restoring the Govt Presence

The transport crisis was brought to the forefront by Ramayya, a resident of Bajal, who highlighted a growing trend of private buses skipping morning and night trips. With the previous KSRTC (govt) services discontinued, residents have been left without a fallback option.

To fix this, the DC confirmed that the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme will bring 100 government-owned electric buses to the city:

• Phased Deployment: The first 50 of the new 100 government buses are scheduled to arrive by March 2026.

• State Infrastructure: Two new government depots, including one at Mudipu, are being prepared for operations.

• Recruitment: The state has already begun training a new batch of government bus drivers to ensure the fleet is operational the moment it arrives.

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