BJP plans permanent development works for coastal, Malnad districts

Udupi- Chikmagalur MP Shobha Karandlaje has promised the public of coastal districts and Malnad of the State that they would not get any development works against to their wish.

She was speaking to presspersons, after a meeting of BJP MPs, MLCs and district presidents, on the development of costal districts and Malnad here, on Saturday.

In her first press conference here, after being elected as MP, Shobha Karandlaje said that the meeting discussed the common problems like arecanut, fisheries and Western Ghats.

An expert committee of 40-members has been formed to look after the pros and cons of various development works of different departments and suggest the solutions, which would be presented before the government.

“The implementation of Kasturirangan’s report would affect people’s life. Including me, five MPs of coastal Karnataka and Malnad region of the State- DK MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, UK MP Ananthkumar Hegde, Shimoga MP Yeddyurappa and Mysore- Kodagu MP Pratap Simha have met the Union Information and Broadcast Minister Prakash Javdekar and requested him to follow the Apex Court direction which directs to collect people’s opinion through Gram Sabha. The Minister has given positive response,” she said.

On areca ban

“The affidavit filed by Additional Solicitor General Indira Jaisingh, will come for hearing on July 16 or 17, in the Supreme Court. We have already submitted a memorandum to ban tobacco, but not to ban arecanut, to the PM and Health Minister Dr Harshavardhan. Still, we have decided to meet them once again. We have also demanded the government to maintain the present tax on arecanut and also demanded to implement Gorak Singh report soon,” she said.

Sea-erosion

The MP stressed for a permanent solution for sea-erosion problem. The Central government is releasing funds to State government every year to stop sea-erosion, but though State spends around Rs 70 crore every year, the problem is not solved. One researcher from Udupi called Deepika Shetty who has got PhD on the same subject would help in this regard, she said.

She also opined that rules should be liberalised at CRZ to help people, like in Kerala or Goa.

Deep-sea fishing 

Shobha Karandlaje said that the Central government has given permission to 78 foreign companies for deep sea fishing. “We demand opportunity to our fishermen and financial help for them. Talapady- Kundapur Highway which should have been finished by 2013 is still pending. I met Union Highway Minister Nithin Gadkari. Though it is difficult to continue with asphaltation as it is rainy season, he promised of finishing concrete work,” she said.
 
‘Gareeb Rath’

She also said that the party would demand Railway Minister D V Sadananda Gowda to sanction separate railway division for Mangalore. There are many daily commuters between Mangalore, Udupi, Kasargod and Karavar. The government should introduce ‘Gareeb Rath’ in these areas, she demanded. Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said that pressure will be put on Central government to implement permanent development works and provide basic facilities to the public.

MLCs Bhanu Prakash, Kota Srinivasa Poojary, Dakshina Kannada BJP President Pratap Simha Nayak, Udupi BJP President Tingale Vikramarjuna Hegde and others were present.