Mangaluru: Minister Priyank Kharge’s claim on Mangaluru’s communal image affecting investment in the region left industry disappointed. Priyank, on Tuesday, shared a letter from KCCI on X, stating that a meeting was held to deliberate on the impact of a recent communal incident in Dakshina Kannada (DK) on trade, commerce and other related aspects. He posted on X, “The joke is on the people who are turning a blind eye to the problem. Dakshina Kannada contributes the second-highest share at 5.4%, while Bengaluru is close to 40%. This gap speaks for itself. That’s precisely why we need Local Economic Accelerator Program. Every district can add far more to the State’s GDP if we ensure a truly conducive environment for investments. Is it too much to expect political and religious leaders of the region to act responsibly, so we can attract more investment and create more jobs? If this is a fake narrative, why are the local industry captains of Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry discussing this issue in their meetings? What has been the contribution of the former Union minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship from the region? He spewed only hate and did nothing for the region. We are a responsible govt and we will deliver for Karavali.” In response, the KCCI stated that they were invited to the meeting, which was attended by elected as well as nominated representatives, and was held in light of certain incidents that occurred in the region at that time. The deliberations were primarily centred around the need to consider relaxation of working hours for business establishments and to ensure free movement of people within the district, particularly in the context of the imposition of prohibitory orders and the invocation of relevant provisions under BNSS.Rohith Bhat, founding member, Silicon Beach Programme (SBP), stated, “The gap between Bengaluru and DK region is exactly what we cried hoarse about. If you look at the major project announcements in the last 2.5 years, most went to Bengaluru. It’s like the rest of the regions don’t even exist. We are asking for investments in our region, not continued insinuations based on things that happened in 2017 and 2019. Bad things happened in Bengaluru too and continue to happen. There are agencies to deal with such matters, and let us use the same yardstick for Mangaluru too.”“LEAP is an excellent initiative and was applauded by everyone. You spoke on it in detail while visiting Mangaluru for Technovanza in Sept 2025. But it is over 5 months since its announcement, and there was no progress on the ground. We made representations on these matters via KDEM, and are hoping for something to happen soon. During the last few years, everyone from the region came together to build a positive narrative for the region, and it is beginning to show a positive impact,” Bhat stated.
