Dakshina Kannada district has huge potential for tourism which will be explored by implementing various tourism projects in the days to come, said District-in-Charge Minister and Higher Education Minister C T Ravi.

Delivering presidential address after hoisting flag on the occasion of the 66th Independence Day celebration organised by the district administration at Nehru Maidan on Wednesday, he said as one such tourism initiative, the government has sanctioned 3D planetarium worth Rs 24 crore to be set up at Pilikula.

As many as 62 tourism vehicles have been provided to the unemployed youth belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe with 50 per cent subsidy rate. While, the tender has been called for the hanging bridge from Sulthan Batteri to Thannirbavi, a project worth Rs 12 crore, said the Minister.

Summing up the developmental work taken up in the district, he said Rs 991.57 crore has been spent on various progressive work in the district during last four years. In addition, Rs five crore has been sanctioned to all the assemblies for the rejuvenation of lakes and 145 lakes will be rejuvenated in Dakshina Kannada. The work on veterinary college in Koila will begin in the year 2013-14 and tender process for the district Ranga Mandira too has been called for, said C T Ravi.

Citing one example where the long pending demand of the district was met by the government, the Minister said, with the government implementing an Act on ‘Moolageni’, thousands of people in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts will be benefitted. “The government has fulfilled most of the promises given in the election manifesto in the last four years, and there are several other promises which are yet to be fulfilled,” he stated.

18 teams march past

March past by 18 teams, miniature copter show and cricket tourney marked the Independence Day programme. Platoons including KSRP, home guards, civil police, Junior and Senior NCC Army, Navy and Air Force, Road patrol, NCC, Bharat Sevadal and others added glitz to the programme with an attractive march past parade.

NCC Airwing Junior and Road Safety patrol team (boys) shared the first prize and NCC Navy Junior team won the second prize in the march past.

A demo of the miniature helicopter model by Rathnakar Nayak Karkala of Indian Aero Modelling Society was the centre of attraction. The helicopter flew in the air, showering flower petals on the National flag. The formal programme was followed by Independence Day Cup Cricket tourney, a friendly cricket match between six teams. The Mangalore University team won the cup.

IGP Pratap Reddy, Deputy Commissioner Dr N S Channappa Gowda, Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh, SP Abhishek Goyal, MCC Commissioner Dr Harish Kumar, ZP CEO Dr K N Vijayaprakash and others were present.

Students steal the show

The cultural programmes staged by the students of Government High school, Attavar at Town Hall as a part of the I-Day celebration, added flavour to the celebration.

The dance ballet under the theme ‘Bharat Darshana’ staged by the students threw light on the great history, culture and heritage of the nation. The ballet which centred on King Ashoka’s rule ended with Ashoka’s transformation, spreading the message of love, peace and harmony.