Mangaluru: BJP Dakshina Kannada district president Sathish Kumpala has urged the Karnataka govt to announce financial allocations along with development projects at the first cabinet meeting to be held in Mangaluru.He told reporters on Tuesday, that merely announcing projects would serve little purpose unless the govt also earmarked the funds required for their implementation. He said granting official recognition to Tulu as the second state language was a long-standing demand of the people of Tulunadu. MPs, MLAs and MLCs from Dakshina Kannada had held a meeting and submitted a list of the district’s demands to the chief minister, he said.Sathish said a committee headed by Mohan Alva had been constituted by former Kannada minister V Sunil Kumar to examine issues related to the Tulu script and the language’s official recognition. As nearly three years had passed since the committee was formed, he expressed hope that the cabinet meeting in Mangaluru will take a favourable decision on granting Tulu the status of a second official language.He said the govt should rename Dakshina Kannada as Mangaluru. Citing the presence of important Hindu and other religious centres in the region, he demanded a comprehensive religious tourism policy. He also called for a tourism policy that would support the livelihood of the fishing community without compromising Mangaluru’s cultural identity. Establishing a circuit bench of the high court in Mangaluru was another major demand.He called for the establishment of industries through IT parks to generate employment, the creation of special task forces to control narcotics, and the full implementation of the Centre’s Jalasiri scheme. He also urged the construction of a large auditorium in Mangaluru, and the early completion of Abbakka Bhavan.Other demands included upgrading Wenlock District Hospital and announcing a govt medical college in Mangaluru, constructing an international-standard stadium, permitting night-time Yakshagana performances, and providing subsidies for Tulu theatre, Yakshagana and films.He urged the govt to take action against cow slaughter and illegal cattle transportation within the legal framework, while giving priority to maintaining communal harmony.MLC Dhananjay Sarji, MLC Kishore Kumar Puttur and BJP leader Premanand Shetty was present.
