Media Release
Mangaluru, Jul 31: Jayashreekrishna Parisara Premi Samiti (Regd), a non-governmental organization dedicated to the environmental protection and sustainable development of Karnataka's coastal region for the past 25 years, will celebrate its Silver Jubilee with a grand function on September 6 at the Town Hall, Mangaluru.
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has been invited as the chief guest and has conveyed his consent to attend the event, according to the organization.
The Silver Jubilee celebration will commemorate the Samiti's 25-year journey in environmental conservation, coastal development, and community service. The programme will include a presentation showcasing the organization's major initiatives, achievements, and long-term vision for sustainable development across Coastal Karnataka.
A delegation led by founder Thonse Jayakrishna A Shetty, along with other office-bearers, recently met Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and submitted an invitation for the Silver Jubilee celebration. During the meeting, the delegation presented a detailed memorandum urging the State Government to prepare a 100-year Vision Master Plan for the balanced and sustainable development of Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, and Karnataka's 320-kilometre coastline.
The memorandum emphasized that development must be environmentally responsible, stating that "today's development should not become tomorrow's destruction." It highlighted the need for integrated district-level planning to promote industrial growth, employment generation, tourism, environmental conservation, and equitable regional development while protecting local culture and communal harmony.
The Samiti proposed a comprehensive development strategy covering environmental protection, infrastructure, industrialization, and tourism. Its recommendations include:
• Conservation of rivers, coastal ecosystems, hills, and forests.
• Scientific treatment of sewage and industrial waste.
• Underground sewerage systems and common waste treatment facilities.
• Reservation of green spaces and creation of environmentally protected no-development zones.
• Pollution control measures in accordance with international standards.
• Development of industrial clusters in engineering, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food processing, automobile manufacturing, fisheries, plastics, and other sectors.
• Promotion of Special Economic Zones (SEZs), IT parks, commercial hubs, hotels, and resorts.
• Improved road connectivity to villages, tourist destinations, and religious centres.
• Expansion of coastal and river tourism.
• Reservation of land for public halls, parks, indoor sports complexes, football and cricket stadiums, and other community infrastructure.
The committee stated that the proposed master plan should ensure that industrialization and tourism development proceed without disturbing the region's ecological balance, cultural heritage, or social harmony.
The invitation submitted to the Chief Minister was jointly signed by founder Thonse Jayakrishna A Shetty, president Nityananda D Kotiyan, state coordinator KP Jagadish Adhikari, and honorary general secretary Mundakur Surendra Salian.
To highlight the organization's credibility and public service over the past two decades, the Samiti enclosed appreciation letters and endorsements received from several eminent personalities and institutions, including former Defence Minister George Fernandes, former Union Ministers Rajeev Pratap Rudy, V Dhananjaya Kumar, and Lalu Prasad Yadav, Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker UT Khader, Dr D Veerendra Heggade, Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited (KIOCL), Nagarjuna Power Corporation Limited, and Adani Electricity. A recent appreciation letter issued by UT Khader on March 18, 2025, was also submitted.
The Samiti noted that it has functioned independently for the past 25 years without receiving government grants. It comprises professionals and social leaders from across the undivided Dakshina Kannada region, including engineers, doctors, lawyers, chartered accountants, industrialists, entrepreneurs, academicians, social workers, poets, and representatives from various communities.
Expressing confidence in Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's leadership and administrative experience, the organization said it believes the government can implement a comprehensive development model that balances economic growth with environmental sustainability. It also reaffirmed its commitment to independently raising environmental and local concerns whenever required during future development projects.
The Silver Jubilee celebrations on September 6 are expected to serve as an important platform to showcase the organization's 25 years of environmental awareness and social service while presenting its long-term vision for the sustainable and integrated development of Coastal Karnataka.