With increased subsidies for fisheries, two new taluks, a Regional Transport Office, reduction in tax benefiting areca and cocoa growers, and transport training initiatives, the coastal region and the district in particular find a mention in the State Budget presented on Friday.
In what would come as a relief to many, Puttur and Mangalore taluks will be bifurcated to form Kadaba and Moodbidri taluks, announced Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar who presented the budget. An amount of Rs. 2 crore each will be allocated for additional infrastructure needed in these taluks.
Transportation infrastructure was given a fillip in the district, with the announcement of a Regional Transport Office at Surathkal, construction of a truck terminal in Mangalore, an automated driving test track in the city at a cost of Rs. 5 crore, and a Heavy Vehicle Driving Training Institute in the city at a cost of Rs. 15 crore.
“The two projects will be a part of the complex coming up at Mudipu. Land has already been allotted by KIADB (Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board,” said C. Mallikarjun, district RTO.
Farmers in the district were given a reason to cheer with the Value Added Tax (VAT) on areca and cocoa de-husking machines reduced from 14.5 per cent at present to 5.5 per cent.
While, Rs. 2 crore will be provided for proposed traditional Konkani crafts museum at Kalaangan, other tourism projects announced were a Rs. 25-crore 3D projection planetarium at Pilikula and a golf course at Thannirbhavi.
The Chief Minister has included Mangalore in the “Safe City Security Infrastructure” scheme that will see an extension of CCTV and Surveillance Camera installation projects.
While Mangalore and Puttur were assured a 24-hour water supply in a day, Mr. Shettar said the “Soubhagya Sanjeevini” programme would be extended to the coastal districts, with Rs. 10 crore provided for preparing Detailed Feasibility Report, and up to Rs. 200 crore for the implementation of the report.
The Chief Minister said Coastal Protection Project coming at a cost of Rs. 223 crore with a loan from the Asian Development Bank, would start with a sea wall at Ullal, while the second phase would involve Ermalu, Tenka, Uliyarugoli, and Udyavara Pudukere in Udupi district and Pavinakurve in Uttara Kannada district.
Fisheries sector gets stimulus
During the presentation of the agricultural budget on Friday, Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar placed emphasis on the fisheries sector, giving it an outlay of Rs. 238 crore.
To tackle the increasing overheads of mechanised fishing, the quantity of tax-free diesel for around 3,500 mechanised boats along the coast has been increased to 1.3 lakh kilolitres, up from 1.146 lakh kilolitres presently, he said.
