Finally, Governor okays P Vishwanath Shetty for Lokayukta

Bengaluru, Jan 27: Governor Vajubhai Vala on Thursday approved the name of Justice P Vishwanath Shetty for the post of Lokayukta.

Raj Bhavan is yet to announce the date for the swearing-in. The post had remained vacant since December 2015, when Justice Y Bhaskar Rao resigned over charges of corruption and extortion at his office.

Vala had recently directed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to reconsider Shetty's name, following complaints that he had obtained a plot at Judicial Layout in Bengaluru on the basis of a false affidavit.

An NGO had submitted documents to Raj Bhavan, charging Shetty and his family with buying three residential plots and seven acres of agricultural land in violation of rules.

Vala had subsequently sought a clarification from Siddaramaiah. He had also directed the government to make recommendations only after consultation and thorough verification.

In his reply, Siddaramaiah said many High Court judges had been allotted sites in the past. No court had held the grant of the site or the purchase of land illegal, he contended.

Shetty was chosen after consultations with a high-level committee comprising Chief Justice S K Mukherjee, presiding officers of the two Houses of the legislature, and leaders of the opposition, Siddaramaiah told Vala.

Shetty's name had been endorsed by all panel members, he informed the Governor.

Earlier, Vala had refused to appoint Justice S R Nayak, recommended by the government, as Lokayukta.

One of the grounds for rejecting Nayak's name was the charge that he had obtained a site by submitting a false affidavit.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

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.

Comments