Commercial activities without licence warned of stringent action

July 1, 2012

ZP30_4

Mangalore, June 30: MCC Commissioner Dr Harish Kumar has warned that stringent action will be initiated within a week against all those who have taken licence for house and are carrying out commercial activities like running hostels and paying guest, said

He was speaking at Mangalore City Corporation monthly meeting here on Saturday. He said the hostels and PG centres are run without providing basic infrastructure facilities and have been creating problems related to cleanliness in and around the vicinity.

Joint Commissioner Srikanth Rao said that the MCC has lists of illegal hostels and the MCC has been initiating measures to contain Dengue and Malaria, as per the direction of the Deputy Commissioner.

Corporator Sudheer Shetty said that owing to the improper work on four-laning of road at Kannur, the water is getting stagnated, thus becoming breeding ground for mosquitoes.

The water logged road is creating severe inconvenience to the two-wheeler riders. A hostel which is situated adjacent to the road does not have proper drainage facility. The drain water is let into the road.

While dumping the soil on the paddy fields to facilitate the widening the road or constructing houses, the owner should ensure that drain is created in the vicity, to facilitate the easy flow of water. The land conversion certificate should not be issued to those who fail to adhere to the rules.

When few corporators alleged that the health department has failed to contain the spread of malaria, the Commissioner said the blame game on the health officials continues for the last several years. In reality, the MCC does not have a health officer.

Realising the ground reality, the DC has deputed one health officer to MCC to take measures to check the spread of Malaria and Dengue. At the same time, 79 personnel will be outsourced to create awareness among the public on Malaria.

When Mariamma Thomas asked the statistics on the number of Malaria and Dengue cases in Mangalore, Health Officer Dr Sudarshan said that as many as 550 malaria cases and 31 Dengue cases were reported in the month of May. One person has lost his life due to Dengue fever, he added.

Overflowing dustbins

Corporator James D'Souza alleged that the dustbins are overflowing in almost all the wards in the city and the sanitary inspectors have not initiated any action to clear the dustbins.

In his reply, the Commissioner said the disposal of the garbage requires machinery which calls for logistic support. With three package proposal, which is awaiting approval from the government, GPS system can monitor the waste disposal. “We are hopeful of getting it approved from the government within a month,” he said.

Civic workers quarters

When the corporators asked why the work on quarters for civic workers quarters was halted, the Joint Commissioner said that the work has been carried out under funds from 22.75 per cent. However, 22.75 per cent should be utilised for the beneficiaries. The quarters once completed will become the MCC property, which is not allowed as per the rules.

PR card

Urban Property Ownership Record (UPOR) scheme Project Director Kusumadhar said unique legal property ownership identity cards or PR card will be issued to property owners after the survey and documentation.

However, the Corporators said that the loopholes in the system should be rectified before taking up survey work. The Corporators urged the Mayor to convene a separate meeting to discuss on the survey. Mayor Gulzar Banu and Deputy Mayor Amithakala were present.

'Mayor interferes'

Corporator Shanker Bhat said that many are alleging that the Mayor is intefering in the work of the Commissioner and has given direction to the officials to carry out raid after informing her.

The BJP corporators flayed Mayor Gulzar Banu for transferring her PA to Surathkal sub office. This led to verbal dual among the Council members and the BJP corporators and the Congress corporators entered into the well of the house, which forced Mayor to adjourn the meeting for sometime.

After the meeting resumed, Commissioner said that there was no interference in the functioning. “However, Mayor had sought details on the raid, to answer to the queries from the media.”

He said the raid against those traders who were not possessing trade licenses was carried out to sensitize the traders. Now, the traders have been asked to get the license within a month.

When the members demanded the MCC to issue notices to the traders to renew license, the Commissioner said that the notice can not be issued.

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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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News Network
December 7,2025

SHRIMP.jpg

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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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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