Centre urged to prepare master plan to boost tourism in coastal Karnataka: Moily

February 6, 2012

Udupi, February 6: Union Corporate Affairs Minister M. Veerappa Moily on Sunday said he had urged the Union Tourism Ministry to prepare a master plan for the development of tourism in coastal Karnataka.

Speaking to presspersons here, Mr. Moily said Union Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahay would visit the State shortly in this regard. Karnataka's coastal belt had not developed as a major tourist destination yet; the State Government should formulate a healthy tourism policy, he added.

In reply to a query on the 'Island Festival' held at St. Mary's Island from February 3 to 5, Mr. Moily said the island was once privately owned. It was during his tenure as Chief Minister that the Government got control of the island. There was no doubt that it should be developed as a tourist spot, but it must not be developed as a “hippie island”, he said.

Any such festival should not cross the levels of decency and limits of law. The district administration and police should take stern steps to prevent any acts of indecency. Foreigners, who come to India, are well-versed with their own culture. They should be exposed to the Indian culture, Mr. Moily said.

In reply to a query, the Minister said there was no need to read too much into the absence of three Congress leaders at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) meeting held in Bangalore on February 4. They had informed the leadership of their inability to attend it, he added.

Henceforth, the general body meeting of the KPCC would be held once in six months, he said.

On the Nethravati river diversion project, he said there were no plans to divert the river. Water from the Yettinahole would be supplied to the parched districts of the plains . There would be no environmental damage due to the Yettinahole project and only 15 acres would have to be acquired. The project was expected to be implemented in 30 months, he said.

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Why Mangaluru Could Become India’s Next Offshore Wind Energy Hub

News Network

February 3,2026

Dakshina Kannada MP Capt Brijesh Chowta has urged the Centre to give high priority to offshore wind energy generation along the Mangaluru coast, citing its strategic importance to India’s green energy and port-led development goals.

Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha under Rule 377, Chowta said studies by the National Institute of Oceanography have identified the Mangaluru coastline as part of India’s promising offshore wind ‘Zone-2’, covering nearly 6,490 sq km. He noted that the region’s relatively low exposure to cyclones and earthquakes makes it suitable for long-term offshore wind projects and called for its development as a dedicated offshore wind energy zone.

Highlighting the role of New Mangalore Port, Chowta said its modern infrastructure, multiple berths and heavy cargo-handling capacity position it well as a logistics hub for transporting and assembling large wind energy equipment.

He also pointed to the presence of major industrial units such as MRPL, OMPL, UPCL and the Mangaluru SEZ, which could serve as direct buyers of green power through power purchase agreements, improving project viability and speeding up execution.

With Karnataka’s peak power demand crossing 18,000 MW in early 2025, Chowta stressed the need to diversify renewable energy sources. He added that offshore wind projects in the Arabian Sea are strategically safer compared to the cyclone-prone Bay of Bengal.

Calling the project vital to India’s target of 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030, Chowta urged the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to initiate resource assessments, pilot projects and stakeholder consultations at the earliest.

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