Mangaluru: Chief minister DK Shivakumar said that the govt has decided to establish a dedicated sculpture park in Karkala to preserve this ancestral craft and profession. The CM was speaking while participating in Dasara programmes at Uchila Sri Mahalakshmi Temple in Udupi on Thursday.“Seeing the distinctive stone sculpture and carving craftsmanship present in your temples, we decided to establish a dedicated sculpture park in Karkala to preserve this ancestral craft and profession. On one side, gold and silver craft, and on the other, wood carving, recognising the tremendous artistic strength embedded in this coastal belt, our govt resolved to protect it and generate employment,” the CM said.Many from the coastal region have built their livelihoods around fishing, he said. “I received petitions regarding several fishermen’s issues, including expediting the port work with the release of Rs 35 crore, interest-free loans up to Rs 3 lakh, and increasing the subsidy on kerosene. I am not going to make any declarations right here. The election code of conduct is in force in the state. However, once I leave from here, sit down there, and discuss this with our officials,” he said.Stating that without the coastal region, Karnataka itself lacks its full honour and pride, Shivakumar said that the spiritual energy of all deities resides here, be it Kollur Mookambika, Dharmasthala, Kateel, Mahalakshmi here, Kukke Subramanya, or Gokarna, and that this coastal region is the very symbol of our dharma. “We have set out to develop temple tourism into a major travel hub. We formulated a distinct new tourism policy for the coastal and Malnad regions to make this a world-class tourism hub,” the CM said.Lauding the special grandeur of Dasara festivities in Uchila, he said, “Dasara is not merely a celebration; it is the pride of our tradition, a wheel of our economy, and a symbol of our unity.”While youth face immense pressure regarding employment, the govt is bringing a new tourism policy for the coastal region. In the recent cabinet meeting as well, the govt announced several development works. Just recently, while visiting Udupi, discussions were held regarding the difficulties being faced by people due to the Kasturirangan Report. A special session has registered the state’s opposition with the central govt, he said, adding, “Our govt took a firm, unanimous decision to protect the livelihoods of our people.”
