Stop street drama; raise Yettinahole issue in Assembly: Rai to BJP

[email protected] (CD Network | Chakravarthi)

February 1, 2016

Mangaluru, Feb 1: Minister for forest, environment and ecology B Ramanath Rai challenged BJP leaders to raise Yettinahole project issue in Assembly.

Rai, who is the Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister, told reporters that Yettinahole project was cleared in both houses during BJP's tenure. "Yettinahole project was approved when BJP was ruling the state and the matter was discussed in both houses. Let BJP leaders stop politicizing the issue and take it up in the Assembly. I will speak to chief minister Siddaramaiah if BJP leaders make an adjournment motion in the Assembly," Rai said.

Talking about the background of the proposal, Rai said it is not a project of chief minister Siddaramaiah alone. "It is not appropriate to predict Yettinahole project as Siddaramaiah's project. It is not a single chief minsiter's scheme. It was BJP leader V S Acharya, who spoke in favour of Nethravati river diversion in 2009. Acharya had stated that only 10% water will be diverted.

He also argued that only rain water will be diverted to parched districts. Later, B S Yeddyurappa announced the project in the budge. As a social activist, I had organized seminar and expressed my opposition to the project. The proposal was discussed in both houses and was passed during Yeddyurappa's tenure. Hence, it is not fair on part of BJP leaders to blame Siddaramaiah," Rai said.

Throwing out a challenge at BJP, Rai said, BJP leaders should make adjournment motion in the Assembly if they are really apprehensive about Yettinahole project.

"Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel is trying to gain political mileage through Yettinahole project. Let him check facts before leveling allegations against Siddaramaiah. As the district in-charge minister, I will speak to leaders of our party, if BJP leaders raise the issue," Rai said.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

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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