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Bengre residents protest against proposed fish meal unit

December 29, 2011

Mangalore, December 29: The resident of Kasba Bengre on Thursday evening gathered in front of the office of Deputy Commissioner raising voice against a proposal of the Department of Ports to set up a fishmeal factory on a playground in their place.

The agitation was organized under the joint auspices of the Dakshina Kannada district unit of Janata Dal (Secular), Karmika Sangha and Kasaba Bengre Development committee.

The protest comes following the initiation to set up the fish meal unit on a playground managed by Super stars sports club, by H S Nissar & Company, after getting green signal from the authorities.

Addressing the protesters Mohammed Rafeeq, a labour union leader said, injustice has been done to 15,000 strong population of Bengre by the authorities since the beginning. “We have already lost our patience and not ready to tolerate injustice anymore”, he warned.

“We are not ready to allow our 30 year old playground to be grabbed by some private companies to establish a factory, which can harm the environment”, he said.

He also said that the Mangalore City Corporation too least bothered about the situation of Bengre. The civic body has not even made any arrangement to keep the area clean. There is no hospital in the area too, he lamented.

Whatever facilities are now available there, are indeed the contribution of local residents, he pointed out.

JD(S) DK district president M B Sadashiva, pledging his party's support for the cause of protesters said it was totally illegal to grab a playground to establish a factory in the residential area.

The Corporation must ensure that fresh and clean environment must be available to the people of Bengre and not a fish meal unit, he said.

“A playground is must for the youth and children of Bengre”, he added.

Azeez Kudroli, Corporator, said that local representatives are responsible for this mess. “Bengre people are still economically backward. They need support from the authorities in all the way. However, quite against to the interest of local residents the authorities have made a clandestine deal with a private firm to set up a factory, which would cause widespread air and water pollution in Kasba Bengre and surrounding areas. It would also affect residents of Kudroli, Car street and Pandeshwar”, he warned.

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News Network
January 23,2026

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot read only three lines from the 122-paragraph address prepared by the Congress-led state government while addressing the joint session of the Legislature on Thursday, effectively bypassing large sections critical of the BJP-led Union government.

The omitted portions of the customary Governor’s address outlined what the state government described as a “suppressive situation in economic and policy matters” under India’s federal framework. The speech also sharply criticised the Centre’s move to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, commonly referred to as the VB-GRAM (G) Act.

Governor Gehlot had earlier conveyed his objection to several paragraphs that were explicitly critical of the Union government. On Thursday, he confined himself to the opening lines — “I extend a warm welcome to all of you to the joint session of the State legislature. I am extremely pleased to address this august House” — before jumping directly to the concluding sentence of the final paragraph.

He ended the address by reading the last line of paragraph 122: “Overall, my government is firmly committed to doubling the pace of the State’s economic, social and physical development. Jai Hind — Jai Karnataka.”

According to the prepared speech, the Karnataka government demanded the scrapping of the VB-GRAM (G) Act, describing it as “contractor-centric” and detrimental to rural livelihoods, and called for the full restoration of MGNREGA. The state government argued that the new law undermines decentralisation, weakens labour protections, and centralises decision-making in violation of constitutional norms.

Key points from the unread sections of the speech:

•    Karnataka facing a “suppressive” economic and policy environment within the federal system

•    Repeal of MGNREGA described as a blow to rural livelihoods

•    VB-GRAM (G) Act accused of protecting corporate and contractor interests

•    New law alleged to weaken decentralised governance

•    Decision-making said to be imposed by the Centre without consulting states

•    Rights of Adivasis, women, backward classes and agrarian communities curtailed

•    Labourers allegedly placed under contractor control

•    States facing mounting fiscal stress due to central policies

•    VB-GRAM (G) Act accused of enabling large-scale corruption

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