Strike paralyses bus services in DK, Udupi too; mild baton charge in Mangalore

September 14, 2012

Mangalore/Udupi, September 14: Travellers across twin districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi on Friday bore the brunt as the indefinite strike launched by workers of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) entered second day.

Bus services were hit as transport workers abstained from work in response to a call given by the workers' unions.

Though the strike did not have major impact in Mangalore on Thursday, frustrated workers suddenly resorted to protest on Friday. Till around 10 a.m. most of the buses proceeded as per schedule to various destinations, said KSRTC Mangalore Divisional Controller M. Mahesh, adding that among those were city bus, shuttle and Volvo bus service.

However, all of a sudden dozens of workers abstained from work and plunged into strike.

Around 225 KSRTC buses depart from Mangalore every day and around same number of buses arrive at KSRTC bus stand. However the strike paralysed most of the services.

The passengers travelling to places like Bangalore, Mysore and Hubli relied on trains to reach their destinations. The strike had left the local railway station grappling with influx of commuters.

In the temple-town of Udupi hundreds of passengers were inconvenienced. Long-distance passengers were a harried lot as most of the buses either did not turn up or turned up late at Bus Stand.

As many as 210 State Transport buses pass through Udupi every day. According to three Traffic Controllers at the KSRTC Bus Stand here, over 20 buses from Hubli, Chikmagalur and Dharmasthala did not arrive at Udupi. Daytime buses to areas such as Chamarajnagar, Yellapur, Karwar, Hubli, Dandeli, Mysore, had not arrived in Udupi.

Schoolchildren and office-goers were also inconvenienced because of the strike. In some rural areas of the coastal districts students with bus pass returned home and very few travelled by private buses. Many passengers from rural areas who were unaware of the strike were found waiting for KSRTC buses in bus stands.

Baton Charge

Police resorted to mild baton charge as a group of agitating KSRTC employees staged protest when hired private buses started to enter bus stand to pick up stranded passengers.

However the situation came under control within half an hour. Following the incident tight police security was deployed in the bus stand.

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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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