Exercise your franchise, urges J R Lobo

[email protected] (CD Network)
April 24, 2013
Mangalore, Apr 24: J R Lobo, Congress candidate for Mangalore (South) constituency has appealed to people to exercise their vote and not stay away from the process due to aversion to politics.

Speaking at a programme organized by the district legal cell of the Congress party in Mangalore to garner support for him in the legal fraternity on Wednesday, Mr. Lobo said that people who feel that none of the political parties are fit to rule the country, must ask themselves as to what other option the country has before it.

“People who say that dictatorship or military rule is apt for India must go back to the days of emergency. No one agrees that emergency was a pleasant situation. In dictatorial or military rule, the unpleasantness gets multiplied,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Kallige Taranath Shetty, Congress leader and former President of Mangalore Bar Council, said that several of BJP's promises have remained unfulfilled over the last five years. Stating that four time MLA and Mr. Lobo's BJP opponent N Yogish Bhat had merely produced numbers before the media and the public and hardly translated any of his plans into action, Mr. Shetty said that under Mr. Lobo, Mangalore will witness swift development.

Calling Mr. Lobo the “future MLA”, Mr. Shetty placed before him on behalf of the legal fraternity appeals to get the construction of district court complex completed done as fast as possible. Construction of a 'Vakila Bhavana' and increasing the pay for junior lawyers were some of the other demands.

B Ibrahim, senior advocate and former MP, said in his address that people have realized that electing the BJP to power was a mistake and expressed confidence that the Congress will storm back to power.

Purshottam Poojary, senior counsel, expressing his thoughts said that the BJP had played caste politics in its term which resulted in poor administration. “People who stick to caste norms cannot give good administration. That is why we saw three chief ministers taking oath in this BJP term”, he said and wished Mr. Lobo well, stating that the “cream of the Mangalore Bar Association” is with him.

Mariamma Thomas shows up in Cong camp

Mariamma Thomas, former Councilor and KJP's face in Mangalore, surprised everyone by showing up at the programme organized by the Congress party.

Speaking to media persons later, she said that she is “still with the KJP” but supports J R Lobo as a candidate.

“He (Mr. Lobo) is an educated man and an able administrator. I support him and I am also coaxing others to vote for him. There is nothing wrong in that,” she said.

When asked about the KJP candidate, Ms. Thomas said that the party had chosen candidates without consulting her, which was disappointing.

jrlobo

thomas

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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 15,2025

Mangaluru police have arrested a 27-year-old NRI on his return from Saudi Arabia in connection with an Instagram post allegedly containing derogatory and provocative remarks about the Hindu religion, officials said on Monday.

The accused, Abdul Khader Nehad, a resident of Ulaibettu in Mangaluru, was working in Saudi Arabia when the post was uploaded, police said.

A suo motu case was registered at the Bajpe police station on October 11 after an allegedly offensive post circulated from the Instagram account ‘team_sdpi_2025’. Police said the content was flagged for being provocative and derogatory in nature.

During the investigation, technical analysis traced the Instagram post to Nehad, who was residing abroad at the time, a senior police officer said. Based on these findings, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him.

On December 14, Nehad arrived from Saudi Arabia at Calicut International Airport in Kerala, where he was taken into custody on arrival. Police said further investigation is underway.

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News Network
December 19,2025

Mangaluru: Public transport in Mangaluru is set for a state-led transformation as the government moves to deploy 100 new electric govt buses to replace unreliable private services. The initiative aims to provide a dependable alternative to private operators who have been frequently "cutting trips," leaving thousands of commuters stranded.

The announcement was made by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV during a public phone-in session. The move specifically targets routes where private bus service has become erratic, ensuring that citizens no longer have to rely on a fluctuating private sector for their daily commute.

Restoring the Govt Presence

The transport crisis was brought to the forefront by Ramayya, a resident of Bajal, who highlighted a growing trend of private buses skipping morning and night trips. With the previous KSRTC (govt) services discontinued, residents have been left without a fallback option.

To fix this, the DC confirmed that the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme will bring 100 government-owned electric buses to the city:

•    Phased Deployment: The first 50 of the new 100 government buses are scheduled to arrive by March 2026.

•    State Infrastructure: Two new government depots, including one at Mudipu, are being prepared for operations.

•    Recruitment: The state has already begun training a new batch of government bus drivers to ensure the fleet is operational the moment it arrives.

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