Indian Social Forum takes Cong to task for ignoring Gulf NRKs in poll manifesto

coastaldigest.com web desk
April 29, 2018

Dammam, Apr 29: The Indian Social Forum, Saudi Arabia, has expressed disappointment that Karnataka’s ruling Congress in its recently released manifesto for May 12 assembly polls has ignored non-resident Kannadigas (NRKs) scattered across Gulf Cooperation Council. 

In a release issued here the ISF said: “After several promises made by the Karnataka’s ruling party, Gulf NRI community was expecting welfare programs for them to be included in its manifesto. However, the manifesto has disappointed large number of NRIs from Karnataka in the GCC countries as the Congress party failed to address their issues.”

The ISF further said that the Congress should have considered wellbeing of Gulf NRI community at least after numerous appeals from NRI groups to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others in the wake of economic crisis in the Middle East.

Recent World bank report confirms, India topped the highest recipient of remittance overseas in 2017 and particularly 50% of remittance made from Indian diaspora in GCC countries, however Karnataka is also beneficiary of this remittance.

Notably, NRI community from Karnataka’s coastal belt has been an influential community back home as there are many families, institutions depend on Gulf NRIs remittance. In light of Gulf Job market crisis, Indian Social Forum, Saudi Arabia is requesting the Congress party to revisits the manifesto to include realistic welfare programs to protect the Gulf NRIs and their family’s interest. We hope such move would fetch the Congress party to gain positive impact among influential Gulf NRI community and would also be beneficial for the country’s development, the release said.

The Indian Social Forum has appealed the Congress party to include following points on its Election manifesto:
1-    NRI Help Desk in Coastal Districts, Mysuru, Bengaluru and Gulbarga
2-    Educational Quota for Gulf NRI students
3-    NRI Data Bank – Statistical survey of NRI population, remittance and other statistics
4-    Create online platform to raise NRI individual concerns and issues
5-    Free Medical aid for Gulf Returnee
6-    Assurance of Fund allocation for Gulf NRIs welfare
7-    Grant Bank Loan for the aspiring Gulf returnee entrepreneurs

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News Network
November 22,2025

Mangaluru: Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H has warned of strict action against individuals spreading rumours and attempting to create insecurity within the Muslim community and fuel hatred between Hindus and Muslims through social media.

Referring to a recent social media post alleging that police personnel had entered a masjid premises to check whether beef was being cooked, the commissioner said miscreants were attempting to push their communal agenda. 

“A group of people, both from Mangaluru and abroad, are trying hard to spread rumours. For the past 10 days, they have been attempting to rake up old issues, highlight routine matters as controversies, or fabricate news altogether,” he said.

He reiterated that any such attempts to disturb communal harmony would invite legal action. “Cases will be registered and the accused will be brought to book,” he stated.

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News Network
November 22,2025

Udupi, Nov 22: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has officially confirmed Narendra Modi’s visit to Udupi on November 28 and shared his detailed schedule with the Karnataka chief secretary.

According to the itinerary, the Prime Minister will land at Mangaluru International Airport from Delhi at 11:05 am and depart for Udupi by helicopter at 11:10 am. He is expected to arrive at the Adi Udupi helipad at 11:35 am.

The earlier plan for a roadshow has been cancelled. Instead, PM Modi will proceed directly to Sri Krishna Math at 12 pm, where he will have darshan of Sri Krishna and address participants of the Laksha Kanta Geetha Gayana event.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to depart from the Adi Udupi helipad at 1:35 pm, returning to Mangaluru Airport before leaving for Goa at 2 pm.

The state administration has been directed to make all necessary arrangements for the visit.

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News Network
November 26,2025

Mangaluru, Nov 26: Assembly Speaker and local MLA U.T. Khader has initiated a high-level push to resolve one of Mangaluru’s longest-standing traffic headaches: the narrow, high-density stretch of National Highway-66 between Nanthoor and Talapady.

He announced on Tuesday that a formal proposal has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) seeking approval to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the widening of this crucial corridor.

The plan specifically aims to expand the existing 45-meter road width to a full 60 meters, coupled with the construction of dedicated service roads. Khader highlighted that land for a 60-meter highway was originally acquired during the initial four-laning project, but only 45 meters were developed, leading to a perpetual bottleneck.

"With vehicle density rising sharply, the expansion has become unavoidable," Khader stated, stressing that the upgrade is essential for ensuring smoother traffic flow and improving safety at the city's main entry and exit points.

The stretch between Nanthoor and Talapady is a vital link on the busy Kochi-Panvel coastal highway and connects to major city junctions. The move to utilize the previously acquired land for the full 60-meter width is seen as a necessary measure to catch up with the region's rapid vehicular growth and prevent further traffic gridlocks.

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