MANGALURU: Gadinada Kannadigas (Kannadigas living outside the state bordering Karnataka) has urged the Karnataka government to extend the benefit of the ‘Shakti’ free travel scheme to Kannadiga women of Kerala’s border district of Kasaragod.
Kasaragod and Dakshina Kannada have strong social and business links. Every day thousands of people from Kasaragod travel to Mangaluru and other places in Dakshina Kannada for education, healthcare and business purposes. Though there are few passenger trains that run through the border districts, the timings are not convenient for a large section of commuters especially students, forcing them to travel in buses which costs them around Rs 100 a day.
Pratheeksha N, a final year BA student at University College, Mangaluru, who shuttles between Soorambail to Mangaluru (one way 50 kilometers), says the free bus facility would be a big relief to her and her parents. Though train services provide cheap transport, she is able to hop on to it only for the return journey because of the mismatch in timings.
At University College, about 25 percent of the students are from Kasaragod out of the total strength of 1,800. Government College in Car Street, Milagres College and many other colleges in Puttur and Sullia has a significant number of students from Kasaragod.
Another student, Shivani Shetty, who commutes between Uppala and Mangaluru, says the lack of colleges in Kasaragod forces them to depend on Mangaluru, especially for higher studies. Hailing the ‘Shakti’ scheme as one which helps women empowerment, she said should be extended to Gadinada Kannadigas as well.
Mahalingeshwara Bhat, a retired Kannada school headmaster and vice-president, of Kannada Horata Samithi, Kasaragod, said they are planning to shortly submit a memorandum to CM Siddaramaiah to extend the Shakti scheme to Kasaragod women. He said their demand is justified given the fact that Kasaragod is the most backward district in Kerala.