Brijesh Chowta seeks permanent solutions to coastal erosion in Dakshina Kannada

New Delhi: Dakshina Kannada BJP MP Capt Brijesh Chowta has urged the Centre to find a permanent solution to the perennial problem of coastal erosion in the district.

Several fishermen's houses and public properties are under constant threat due to severe coastal erosion in the Ullal and Someshwara areas of the district, he said while participating in the debate on the Finance Bill in the Lok Sabha.

Chowta said that instead of temporary measures, the government must formulate a comprehensive and scientific coastal protection plan to provide a lasting solution in coordination with the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest.

He also demanded the immediate merger of the Konkan Railway Corporation with Indian Railways to resolve its existing structural issues and ensure full-scale development.

Noting that Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had responded positively to the demand, Chowta said the merger was essential to take forward this ambitious project, which was conceived during the tenure of late NDA leader and the then Railway Minister George Fernandes.

Expressing gratitude to Vaishnaw for approving the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Shiradi Ghat section of the Hassan–Mangaluru railway line, he urged the early commencement of works.

Additionally, Capt Chowta requested the Finance Minister to prioritise Mangaluru under the Centre’s ‘City Economic Region’ scheme, describing the city as highly suitable for the initiative.

The MP stressed the need to improve road connectivity to enable New Mangalore Port to operate at full capacity in its golden jubilee year. He appealed for expediting the Mangaluru–Bengaluru Expressway corridor and the Mangaluru Bypass projects.

Welcoming the simplified income tax regime, he said this would bring greater clarity and confidence to taxpayers. He also welcomed the increased allocation for the defence sector and the government’s push for indigenous defence manufacturing.

On the cooperative sector, Chowta stressed that timely implementation of central government schemes by state governments is crucial for the benefits to reach the common man.

However, he expressed concern over the lack of cooperation and delays by the Karnataka government in implementing key centrally sponsored schemes such as the Jal Jeevan Mission and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

As a result, central funds remain unutilised, depriving poor families of access to drinking water and housing, he lamented.