Terming the late Ullal Srinivas Mallya, former MP, as the architect of Mangaluru, Minister for Urban Development and Dakshina Kannada in-charge U.T. Khader said here on Saturday that two government establishments, promoted by Mr. Mallya in the city, are now facing the threat of privatisation.
Addressing a gathering at a function, organised by Mangaluru City Corporation to present its second Late Ullal Srinivas Mallya Memorial annual awards, the Minister said Mr. Mallya was responsible for setting up New Mangalore Port, managed by New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), and the Mangaluru International Airport, managed by the Airports Authority India (AAI). Now there is a move by the government to privatise them. It should be opposed, he said. M. Veerappa Moily, MP and former Union Minister, presented the Ullal Srinivas Mallya Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award for 2018 to doctor B.M. Hegde. The award carried a purse of of ₹1 lakh, a memento, a shawl, and a citation.
In addition, the Ullal Srinivas Mallya Memorial Honarary Award for 2018 was presented to Ramakrishna Mission, Mangaluru (for social service); Manohar Prasad (journalism); Honeyball R. Cabral (community education and service), and Sara Aboobacker (literature).
They were given ₹50,000 each, a memento, a shawl, and a citation.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Moily said that religion and caste should not interfere in the promotion of development projects and community projects. Politicians should have humility and honesty. Otherwise their political career would be short-lived.
He said that Mr. Mallya was responsible for the promotion of national highways and setting up of the erstwhile Karnataka Regional Engineering College which is now the National Institute of Technology- Karnataka at Surathkal. Mr. Moily said that undivided Dakshina Kannada should not lag behind in industrialisation which is needed to address the unemployment issue. Ms. Aboobacker stressed on the need to sustain the plurality of the coastal region. She said that plurality was the strength of the coastal belt and it should be nurtured.
