Yediyurappa allocates Rs 500 cr to his community’s corporation

News Network

November 24, 2020

Bengaluru, Nov 23: Karnataka on Monday allocated a whopping Rs 500 crore to the newly-formed Karnataka Veerashaiva-Lingayat Development Corporation (KVLDC).

Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa had only last week announced that such a body will be set up in the state.

His decision was preceded by the decision to set up a Maratha Development Authority (MDA). However, it had got an allocation of just Rs 50 crore.

The push for the KVLDC came after a group of Lingayat community ministers and MLAs led by Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi met Yediyurappa, who is considered the tallest political leader of the community, and urged him to form this corporation.

According to these leaders, even though Lingayats form 17 per cent population in Karnataka and have made a significant contribution in the state, the community has a substantial number of poor people, who eke out a living by working as labourers.

Yediyurappa’s decision on the MDA comes ahead of the announcement of bypolls to the Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency, as well as Basavakalyan and Maski assembly constituencies, which have a sizeable Marathi-speaking population.

However, this announcement had not gone down with a section which questioned why the Karnataka government should set aside money for Maratha development. So much so, a state-wide bandh has been called by pro-Kannada organisations opposing this decision.

Since the formation of these two boards/corporations, there have been several representations made by many other communities in the state to the CM urging him to set up respective welfare boards.

Former Chief Minister and JD-S leader H. D. Kumaraswamy on Sunday called for a similar board/corporation for Vokkaligas, another politically dominant community like the Lingayats.

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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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