Karnataka CM writes to Centre against privatization of Mangaluru Airport

News Network

December 16, 2018

Mangaluru, Dec 16: Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy has written a letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led union government raising objections to a decision to privatize Mangalore International Airport.

Revealing this to media persons, JD(S) Dakshina Kannada district president Mohammed Kunhi said that the Centre’s move is against the interest of airport users.

"Hundreds of acres of Mangalore International Airport belong to the state government. The airport should not be handed over to private companies at any cost," he said.

The union government recently had decided to hand over Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, and Guwahati airports for operations, management and development through the PPP model.

On the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Kunhi said the JD(S) - Congress combine can easily win the Dakshina Kannada seat if the ticket is given to the right candidate.

"We can win the seat if we field efficient leaders like Manjunath Bhandary, Ivan D'Souza, Mohiuddin Bava from Congress or M B Sadashiva of JD(S). However, Congress should wake up and respond to situations," he added.

On the Ayodhya issue, Kunhi said Muslims are not against building a Ram Temple in Ayodhya. "Muslims do not oppose the construction of a Ram Mandir, but the BJP has been using the issue for political gains ahead of the Lok Sabha election. BJP is trying to create communal tension to gain political mileage," he charged, and questioned as to why the party could not build a temple in the past four-and-a-half years.

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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.

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