UDUPI: Politically, nothing much the MLAs of Udupi district can do other than issue statements welcoming the budget proposals presented by CM Basavaraj Bommai on Friday, however, there is a strong feeling that the budget has overlooked the demand of Udupi to get a government medical college sanctioned. Not only that, there is not much to feel good about other sectors like agriculture, infrastructure and fisheries. Fisheries being the backbone of the district's economy, there was no major infrastructure project announced for the upliftment and up-gradation of the sector.
A government medical college has been sanctioned for the Chitradurga district, and the people of Udupi have no qualms as Chitradurga is also a backward district. But much-anticipated government medical college for Udupi should have been also sanctioned, stakeholders say.
However district surgeon Dr Madhusudhan Nayak said that if not mentioned in the budget, one need not think it as everything is lost. ''As the new building for 250 bedded district government hospital near Ajjarakad is under construction, and it would need more time for completion, the allocation of funds may happen through the approval by the finance department. But had the budget mentioned about sanctioning of government medical college for Udupi, it would have expedited the process, he opined.
There is an assurance of taking up dredging works at the navigation channels of eight fisheries harbours in the state, however, dredging in the anchoring space (of the boats) in one of the major fisheries harbours- Malpe sees no mention.
However, Dakshina Kannada- Udupi District Cooperative Fish Marketing Federation president Yashpal Suvarna said that the state budget has earmarked maximum funds for the development of fisheries harbours. This is big support given for deep sea fishing, he said.