Ivan D'Souza slams centre for U-turns, demands new cashew policy

[email protected] (CD Network)
April 4, 2015

Mangaluru, Apr 4: Criticising the NDA government for its anti-farmer policies, Member of Legislative Council Ivan D’Souza said that the Congress party would launch a statewide agitation against the Land Acquisition Bill, 2015 and protest against the regressive bill.

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Addressing media persons at a press conference here on Saturday, he said that prior to the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had made promises in its manifesto to protect the interests of farmers and bring back black money stashed in Swiss banks. However, the BJP is cheating farmers and land owners by bringing the Land Acquisition Bill through an ordinance for the sole benefit of corporate companies. As per the decision of the KPCC, the district Congress unit will undertake a ‘padayatra’ on April 18 as a mark of protest against the Land Acquisition Ordinance brought by the union government, he said.

He criticised the ruling party at the Centre for failing to fulfill the promise of bringing back the black money away in foreign bank accounts, after being elected to power with a majority. The BJP has not been able to name a single person from the country holding an overseas account with black money till date. In the past ten months, the BJP has not fulfilled any major promises it had made before the elections, thus cheating people, he said, alleging that the BJP was not in favour of exposing corruption in the country as promised earlier.

He also alleged that the ruling government had cheated its citizens to the tune of Rs 14,000 crore by opening zero-balance bank accounts with Jan Dhan Yojana.

Plea for cashew farming policy

Mr D’Souza urged for a cashew cultivation policy to be implemented in the state to provide encouragement to cashew growers. Although cashew is cultivated in 24 districts in Karnataka over 70,000 hectares, a large amount of cashew is still being imported since the quality of the yield is not superior as most of the growers do not employ scientific methods.

There are several private companies keen in partnering with local cashew growers in order to implement scientific methods to enhance the quality of cashew yield, he said, urging the state government to bring a cashew cultivation policy.

When asked about the residents of Jokatte and surrounding villages near Suratkal facing an ordeal due to alleged pollution and contamination by Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals Limited, he said that he would look into the matter.

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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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News Network
December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A 34-year-old fruit and vegetable trader in Mangaluru has reportedly lost ₹33.1 lakh after falling victim to an online investment scam run through a fake mobile app.

Police said the scam began in September, when the victim received a link on Facebook. Clicking it connected him to a WhatsApp number, where an unidentified person introduced a high-return investment scheme and instructed him to download an app.

To build trust, the fraudster asked him to invest ₹30,000 on September 24. The trader soon received ₹34,000 as “profit,” convincing him the scheme was genuine. Over the next two months, he transferred money in multiple instalments via Google Pay and IMPS to different scanner codes and bank accounts shared by the scammers. Between September 24 and December 3, he ended up sending a total of ₹33.1 lakh.

When he later requested a refund of his investment and promised returns, the scammers demanded additional payments, claiming he needed to pay a “service tax” first. Even after he paid a small amount, no money was returned, and the scammers continued pressuring him for more.

A case has been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station.

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News Network
December 20,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 20: The Mangaluru City Police have issued a detailed traffic advisory ahead of the inaugural ceremony of Karavali Utsava, which will be held at the Karavali Utsava Ground on Saturday.

The festival will be inaugurated at 6:00 pm by Dakshina Kannada District Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao. Cultural and public programmes will be held at the venue every evening and will continue until January 2.

According to City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy, parking of vehicles is strictly prohibited on both sides of the road from Lalbagh to Karavali Utsava Ground. Visitors are requested to park their vehicles only at designated parking areas.

To help the public, traffic signboards and parking guidance flex boards have been installed along the routes leading to the venue. The police have urged commuters and visitors to follow these instructions to ensure smooth traffic movement.

Designated Parking Locations

•    Urwa Market Ground – Cars
•    Gandhinagar Government School (near Press Club) – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Ladyhill Church parking area – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Canara School Ground, Mannagudda – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Thimmappa Hotel premises – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Scout and Guide Bhavana premises (behind Karavali Utsava Grounds) – Two-wheelers
•    Urwa Market Road – Two-wheelers
•    Hat Hill Road – Two-wheelers

The police have appealed to the public to cooperate by following traffic rules and parking guidelines to avoid inconvenience during the festival.

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