MANGALURU: The Karnataka cabinet will meet in Mangaluru on September 18, marking the first time the State Government’s highest decision-making body will convene in the coastal city.
In a communication to senior bureaucrats, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh asked all departments to identify proposals related to coastal Karnataka and place them before the Cabinet for consideration during the Mangaluru meeting.
The decision follows demands from elected representatives of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada, who urged the government to hold a cabinet meeting in the coast after similar meetings were held in Kalaburagi and Male Mahadeshwara Hills in Chamarajanagar.
Soon after assuming office, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar had announced the cabinet would meet in Mangaluru to chalk out measures for the development of the coastal districts, with emphasis on harnessing its tourism potential.
Among the key expectations is the proposed Malnad Tourism Corporation, which Dakshina Kannada in-charge minister UT Khader had announced during his Independence Day address.
The proposed corporation is aimed at promoting tourism across the coastal and Malnad regions through integrated planning and investment. Industry bodies and civic groups hope for decisions on long-pending issues such as a comprehensive policy on sand mining and laterite mining, besides renewed efforts to secure official language status for Tulu.
