Passengers stranded in Mangalore as bandh hits bus services

[email protected] (CD Network, Photos by Suresh Vamanjoor)
March 3, 2014
Mangalore, Mar 3: The self-declared bandh against the implementation of Yettinahole project by the state government was largely peaceful in Mangalore city, with the exception of a couple of protests in front of the deputy commissioner 's office on Monday.

Barring hospitals, medical stores and a rare few establishments, the entire city came to a standstill on Monday in support of the call for bandh for the cause of saving the Nethravati river. Traffic on the roads was minimal and the city wore a deserted look till noon. Even commercial establishments and malls remained closed till 6 p.m.

Bus and auto-rickshaw services were stalled from dawn to dusk due to the bandh, although railway services were functioning normally.

Out-station passengers stranded in KSRTC bus stand

Due to the disruption of bus services, a horde of passengers were left stranded in KSRTC bus stand in the city, who were unaware of the bandh declared on Monday.

People such as Rekha, her brother and 5-year-old Akshatha who had arrived from Gadag, were stuck in the KSRTC bus stand since early morning as they were unable to travel to Kalladka in Bantwal taluk.

Relating her plight to a couple of reporters, she said that all the three had been waiting in the bus stand since 7 a.m. for the bus services to resume so that they could join her parents in Kalladka. “Luckily, we were able to have breakfast in the morning as soon as we arrived. But for now, we are stuck in the bus stand without any food. The auto-rickshaw drivers asked for Rs 1,000 to take us to our home near Kalladka. The only option is to wait till the evening for the buses to start running,” she said.

Bus drivers, who were also at the bus stand, told reporters that the government bus owners had decided to stop the bus services from 6 a.m. in view of the bandh to avoid untoward incidents. “It is safer for the passengers not to run the buses. We may resume our daily routes after seeing the situation at 5 p.m.,” he said, adding that upto 580 buses were scheduled from the Mangalore bus depot each day.

MLA distributes free lunch

As news of stranded passengers spread, members of Karavali Jeevanadi Nethravati Samrakshana Samiti led by former Congress MLA Vijaykumar Shetty arrived at the bus stand around noon.

Around the same time, local MLA J R Lobo arrived at the spot, and distributed lunch to the stranded passengers at the bus stand. Around 350 to 400 people from outside Mangalore city were provided with free lunch sponsored by the MLA.

Speaking to mediapersons, Mr Lobo said that the self-declared bandh was met with a good response from the citizens of Dakshina Kannada. “Though largely peaceful, the whole-hearted support to the bandh reveals the opinion of the people who are opposed to the Nethravati diversion project. A study has to be conducted before deciding to implement the project; I will therefore communicate this to the chief minister and ask him to reconsider his decision on the project,” he said.

Bandh_mangalore_3_2
Bandh_mangalore_3_3
Bandh_mangalore_3_4
Bandh_mangalore_3_5
Bandh_mangalore_3_6
Bandh_mangalore_3_7
Bandh_mangalore_3_8
Bandh_mangalore_3_9
Bandh_mangalore_3_10

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
December 2,2025

DKSsiddu.jpg

Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
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.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.