Residents lay siege to MSEZ office; demand removal of mud dumped into Phalguni

May 3, 2012

Mangalore, May 2: Activists and residents of Melakoppala and Athrebail on Wednesday laid siege of the Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ) office demanding removal of mud dumped along the Phalguni river near Kuloor and restore the ecosystem. The protest lasted four hours.

The mud had been dumped along the river for the proposed road-cum-pipeline corridor, which will connect the Mangalore Special Economic Zone and the New Mangalore Port Trust. The Melakoppala and Athrebail residents said this would narrow down the space for the Phalguni causing floods. Despite notices issued by the Coastal Regulatory Authority, the MSEZ was yet to clear the mud, the residents alleged.

The residents accompanied by the members of Citizen's Forum for Mangalore and Democratic Youth Federation of India arrived at the MSEZ office at Urwa Stores around 4 p.m. and sought appointment with the MSEZ Managing Director Rajiv Banga to raise their concerns about dumping of the mud. But the MSEZ staff told the protestors that Mr. Banga was not in the office. But the protestors refused to leave the place and insisted that they would not leave without meeting Mr. Banga.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Subramanya and police personnel from the Urwa station rushed to the venue. The Legal Advisor of MSEZ Premanand Kini told protestors that the ongoing work was done legally and there was no question of removing the mud.

Vidya Dinker from Citizen's Forum countered Mr. Kini and showed the notices issued by the Coastal Regulatory Authority to the MSEZ asking the latter to clear the mud. Then Mr. Kini and Ramachandra Bhandarkar, Public Relations Officer, called representatives of the protesters to come inside the MSEZ office for discussion. The protestors did not agree and continued to sit outside the MSEZ office.

Meanwhile, some of the protesters proceeded to the Urwa police station and lodged a complaint about Mr. Banga being missing.

The MSEZ officials then came out and told the protesters that Mr. Banga had difficulty in speaking the local language and hence was not comfortable in speaking with the protesters. The protesters then insisted that the MSEZ Managing Director gave in writing assurance .

Around 8 p.m. Sub-Inspector from Urwa Police Gopala Kotapady told the protesters that Mr. Banga had told him that he would be meeting them on Thursday at 5 p.m. near the Kuloor bridge.

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Mangaluru Tees Off Big: Golf Excellence Academy to Open at Pilikula

News Network

February 1,2026

The coastal city of Mangaluru is gearing up for a major sporting milestone with the launch of a Golf Excellence Academy at the Pilikula Golf Club (PGC), scheduled to open on May 31. The initiative aims to position Mangaluru firmly on India’s national golfing map.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday during PGC’s first-ever floodlit Pro-Am tournament, club captain Manoj Kumar Shetty said the project is being funded by UAE-based philanthropist Michael D’Souza and is currently in the design phase. Experts from leading golf academies across the country are expected to visit Mangaluru to help shape the training programme and infrastructure.

The academy will train 20 young golfers at a time, with a long-term vision of producing national-level players from the region. Until now, PGC relied on an in-house coach, but the recent renovation of the course and the introduction of floodlights have opened new possibilities for expanding the sport.

Shetty said discussions are underway with two reputed coaching academies, whose heads are expected to visit PGC shortly. “A dormitory for trainers is already under construction. We are inviting academies to assess the facilities and suggest changes so we can build a truly world-class Golf Excellence Academy,” he said.

Professional golfer Aryan Roopa Anand noted that the floodlit course would be a game-changer for young players. “Students can now practise after school hours, even up to 8 or 9 pm, without compromising on academics,” he said.

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From malls to highways, Kannada signboards to be enforced in Dakshina Kannada

News Network

February 4,2026

Mangaluru: Urban local bodies and gram panchayats should make the use of Kannada on signboards mandatory while issuing trade licences to commercial establishments, Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Darshan HV said. He also called for regular inspections to ensure compliance.

Presiding over the District Kannada Awareness Committee meeting at the deputy commissioner’s office, Darshan said the city corporation would be directed to ensure that shops operating in malls prominently display their names in Kannada. “All commercial establishments, including shops, companies, offices and hotels, must mandatorily display their names in Kannada on signboards,” he said.

The deputy commissioner added that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) would be instructed to include Kannada on signboards along national highways. Banks, he said, would be directed through committee meetings to provide application forms in Kannada.

“Even if English-medium schools and colleges impart education in English, their signboards must display the institution’s name in Kannada. Steps will also be taken to ensure that private buses display place names in Kannada,” Darshan said.

During the meeting, committee members raised concerns over the closure of Kannada-medium schools in rural areas due to a shortage of teachers and stressed the need for immediate corrective measures. They also pointed out that several industries employ workers from other states while overlooking local candidates.

Members further demanded that nationalised banks provide deposit and withdrawal slips in Kannada. It was brought to the deputy commissioner’s notice that the presence of staff without knowledge of Kannada in rural branches of nationalised banks is causing hardship to local customers.

Meanwhile, MP Srinath, president of the District Kannada Sahitya Parishat, urged the district administration to allot land for the construction of a district Kannada Bhavana in Mangaluru.

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