Mangaluru: District minister UT Khader, accompanied by senior govt officials, inspected Praja Soudha, the DC office complex at Padil Sunday as part of preparations for the state cabinet meeting scheduled to be held in Mangaluru on Sept 18.Khader said, “The govt had decided to convene a cabinet meeting in Mangaluru and that preparations were under way. Chief minister DK Shivakumar had expressed a desire to hold the meeting at a govt institution. Accordingly, the DC office complex was inspected as a suitable venue,” Khader said.The meeting will be attended by the chief minister, other cabinet ministers, the chief minister’s advisors, the finance secretary and four other senior officials. Other govt officials will participate depending on the subjects listed for discussion, he added.Khader said local MLAs and other key stakeholders will be consulted while preparing a list of development projects concerning the coastal region and Dakshina Kannada district. The stakeholders’ demands will also be taken into consideration, and proposals will be presented to the cabinet.Arrangements will also be made to accommodate ministers and senior officials arriving from outside the district. The objective of the meeting is to ensure that ministers get a better understanding of the region and its development needs, he said.Khader defends CM’s aerial surveyResponding to criticism from the opposition over chief minister DK Shivakumar’s aerial drought survey, Khader said an aerial assessment provided a comprehensive picture of the extent of damage.“Unlike a ground-level inspection, an aerial survey provides a complete picture of the affected area and the damage caused. This is something even a small child can understand,” he said.He urged the opposition not to indulge in petty politics over disasters and relief measures. “The govt’s priority is to respond to the difficulties faced by the people and provide them with relief.”Khader said the govt and the chief minister were functioning with an open mind and stressed the need for both the ruling party and the opposition to work together for the people and the development of the state.On the issue of B Nagendra’s resignation, he said the govt had adopted a clear and transparent position and remained committed to protecting public interest. He had resigned on moral grounds. If he gets a clean chit, he may come back.
