Govt should officially observe Christmas as Christa Jayanti': Ivan D'Souza

September 30, 2016

Mangaluru, Sep 30: In a controversial demand, Ivan D'Souza, chief whip of the government in the Legislative Council, has urged the Karnataka state government to officially observe Christmas.

Speaking to media persons in Mangaluru the MLC said that it was the demand of Christian community that their festival should be observed by the government as Christa Jayanti' or the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ starting from this year.

He also said that the government to convert the Christian Development Council (CDC) into a Corporation and earmark at least Rs. 300 crore for development of Christians in the state budget of 2017-18.

Mr D'Souza, who was recently appointed as the vice-president of the CDC, said that he had already urged the State to set up one hostel for Christian students in the headquarters of the 24 districts where the community is present in significant numbers.

He said there is a lack of awareness about the various development schemes formed by the government for Christians. Adding that he has undertaken extensive tours of districts with sizeable Christian population, he said, “The lack of information about government schemes is evident in these districts.”

He said the demands to form a corporation and open hostels for Christians were based on the outcome of meetings with community members during his tour of Bidar, Yadgir, Kalaburagi, Raichur, and Belagavi districts, which have a Christian population of about five lakh.

Another demand is to increase the fund allocated under the Bidai scheme for brides from minority communities from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1 lakh. The State government should observe Christmas officially as Christa Jayanti', Mr D'Souza added. He said the suggestions would be placed before the government soon.

Comments

You forgot to include one more demand: \Release Rs 1 lakh under Mathanthara Bhagya scheme to those who convert into Christianity\""

All demands are good except 'Christa Jayanti'. In fact govt level Christa Jayanti is not the demand of Christian community. It's just demand of a politician.

This is guts. UTK and modin bava should learn from these catholic representatives.

Now pakistanis also may start demanding Karnataka govt to officially celebrate hafiz saeed jayanati..

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Mangaluru’s ₹1,200 crore fix: Massive sewage overhaul to end city’s drainage woes

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: In a decisive move to tackle the city’s deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced a massive ₹1,200 crore action plan to overhaul its underground drainage (UGD) network.

The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV, aims to bridge "missing links" in the current system that have left residents grappling with overflowing sewage and environmental hazards.

The Breaking Point

The announcement follows a high-intensity phone-in session on Thursday, where the DC was flooded with grievances from frustrated citizens. Residents, including Savithri from Yekkur, described a harrowing reality: raw sewage from apartments leaking into stormwater drains, creating a "permanent stink" and turning residential zones into mosquito breeding grounds.

"We are facing immense difficulties due to the stench and the health risks. Local officials have remained silent until now," one resident reported during the session.

The Strategy: A Six-Year Vision

DC Darshan HV confirmed that the proposed plan is not a temporary patch but a comprehensive six-year roadmap designed to accommodate Mangaluru’s projected population growth. Key highlights of the plan include:

• Infrastructure Expansion: Laying additional pipelines to connect older neighborhoods to the main grid.

• STP Crackdown: Stricter enforcement of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) regulations. While new apartments are required to have functional STPs, many older buildings lack them entirely, and several newer units are reportedly non-functional.

• Budgetary Push: The plan has already been discussed with the district in-charge minister and the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. It is slated for formal presentation in the upcoming state budget.

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