A grant of Rs. 146 crore to Mangalore City Corporation for round-the-clock water supply announced by Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda in the 2012-13 Budget has brought the proposal to the fore again.
The corporation had kept the proposal aside after the council of the civic body failed to take a decision on going ahead with it. The council had twice postponed an agenda to this effect without any debate. In his budget speech, Mr. Gowda said that bulk water supply for Mangalore city had been augmented under a project assisted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Water distribution network in the city continued to be inadequate. The current intermittent water supply system would be converted into 24x7 system through public-private-partnership (PPP) mode at a cost of Rs. 146 crore. The work was expected to begin in 2012-13.
A veterinary college for Puttur, a hotel management institute for the city, an oceanarium, and a Janapada Loka for Pilikula are some of the proposals announced by Mr. Gowda for Dakshina Kannada in the budget. In addition, he announced setting up of a Jain Vidya Peetha in Mangalore University and constructing Rani Abbakka Bhawan in Ullal.
Mr. Gowda announced a proposal to bring arecanut under e-tendering system in the APMCs for selling the produce.
Veterinary college
The veterinary college proposed to be built in Puttur was first of its kind in the undivided Dakshina Kannada. Though Dakshina Kannada and Uudpi have hotel management institutes set up by the private sector, the one announced by the Chief Minister was the first in the government sector. The Chief Minister announced that a Janapada Loka will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 5 crore at Pilikula Nisargadhama. In addition, an Oceanarium of international standard would be constructed at Pilikula under PPP mode.
He announced Rs. 1 crore for setting up Jain Vidya Peetha at the university and Rs. 2 crore for building Rani Abbakka Bhavan at Ullal. He said that he would request the Centre and GIZ-IS, a German government agency, to provide financial assistance for setting up a high tech multi-skill development centre in Mangalore.
