Despite warning, outfits to stage bandh on Dec 5 opposing Maratha board move

Agencies

November 20, 2020

Bengaluru, Nov 20: Despite government warnings, pro-Kannada organisations on Friday decided to go ahead with the Karnataka Bandh on December 5 in protest against the formation of the Maratha Development Authority (MDA).

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had on November 13 announced setting up the MDA, earmarking Rs 50 crore for the overall development of the Maratha population in the state.

The move was seen in some quarters as an attempt to woo the sizeable community members in Basavakalyan Assembly segment in Bidar district in north Karnataka and Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency bordering Maharashtra where by-elections are due.

The decision has not gone down well with several pro-Kannada organisations.

The consortium of the pro-Kannada organisations such as Kannada Chalavali Vatal Paksha (KCVP) and Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Shivarame Gowda faction) passed a resolution opposing the government move and deciding to stage the bandh.

The Ola-Uber Drivers and Owners Association to has extended its support to the bandh.

In a statement, KCVP chief Vatal Nagaraj claimed support of the former chief of the Kannada Development Authority Mukhyamantri Chandru and former head of the Kannada Film Chamber of Commerce, Sa Ra Govindu, among others, for the consortium.

However, two other factions of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike belonging to T A Narayana Gowda and Praveen Shetty have said they would take a call only after discussing with their leaders.

As the matter snowballed into a controversy after his announcement, Yediyurappa clarified that he was only setting up the Maratha Development Authority and not the Marathi Development Authority.

He stated that Maratha community members are "staunch Hindutvavadis", many of whom need to be elevated socially and economically.

The Chief Minister had warned that he would not allow any 'forced bandh' on December 5.

"We will take strict action if the forced bandh is called,"

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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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