Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Sep 18: Tulu will be recognised as an additional official language of Karnataka in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, while the State Cabinet has approved projects and proposals worth Rs 32,611 crore, including the Coastal-Malnad Karnataka Tourism Policy 2026 and a fisheries park spread across 150 acres.
The decisions were taken at a special Cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister D K Shivakumar in Mangaluru on Friday, the first such meeting to be held in the city.
Addressing a press conference after the Cabinet meeting, Shivakumar said Rs 16,000 crore of the overall package was earmarked for rural development, including rural connectivity roads and rural infrastructure, while the remaining amount was related to the coastal districts.
Tulu gets additional official language status
Shivakumar said the government had respected the sentiments of the people by deciding to recognise Tulu as an additional official language in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts.
“The demand to declare Tulu as the second additional official language in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada has been a long-standing one. We will not discuss why previous governments did not take this decision. Criticism dies, but work remains,” he said.
He said several suggestions had been received during the Cabinet deliberations.
“We have commitment. We do politics on people's lives, not merely on their emotions. Society cannot be built on emotions alone. We will empower people socially and economically and help them build their lives,” Shivakumar said.
He said pending demands would be considered in future Cabinet meetings wherever necessary, keeping financial and legal frameworks in mind.
“This is Team Karnataka. The Cabinet is with you,” he said, adding that Tulu would be recognised as an additional official language of the State, limited to Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.
Shivakumar recalled that former minister Ramanath Rai had first raised the demand for Tulu to be recognised as an additional language. He said several public representatives, including Minister U T Khader and MLA Ashok Kumar Rai, had jointly exerted pressure on the government regarding the demand.
The chief minister congratulated everyone who had worked towards securing recognition for Tulu.
Dakshina Kannada may be renamed Mangaluru; public opinion to be sought
Shivakumar said the government would seek public opinion on renaming Dakshina Kannada district as Mangaluru.
“Mangaluru has international recognition. A decision on naming Dakshina Kannada as Mangaluru will be taken after obtaining public opinion,” he said.
A draft notification will be issued, followed by a one-month period during which people's sentiments and opinions will be collected before a decision is taken.
Coastal-Malnad Karnataka Tourism Policy 2026
The Cabinet approved the Coastal-Malnad Karnataka Tourism Policy 2026.
Shivakumar said the policy would be different from all previous tourism policies and would provide greater support to investors, including more time for loan repayment.
Under the new policy, tourism projects in the coastal and Malnad regions would be treated as infrastructure projects. Several incentives are also planned to promote tourism projects and investment in the region.
The policy follows earlier consultations on developing the tourism potential of the coastal and Malnad regions, including measures to promote investment, infrastructure and employment.
Fisheries, Blue Economy University Planned
Shivakumar said a Fisheries and Blue Economy University would be established. He also said the intake at the existing fisheries college would be increased from 60 to 200 seats.
The government has also approved the development of a fisheries park spread across 150 acres. Shivakumar said there had been demands for Kidwai and Jayadeva hospital facilities in the region.
He also announced that Rs 549 crore had been approved for establishing a medical college in Puttur.
10-12 Cabinet meetings planned at different locations
Asked whether Cabinet meetings would be held in other districts after the first meeting outside Bengaluru was conducted in Mangaluru, Shivakumar said the government intends to hold Cabinet meetings at 10 to 12 locations during the next 15 months.
“Wherever there is capacity and a need, Cabinet meetings will be held,” he said.
He said the government's goal was to build an integrated and prosperous Karnataka.
Dakshina Kannada has drawn national attention
Asked whether the development initiatives announced for the coastal districts would be extended to other parts of Karnataka, Shivakumar said they would definitely be extended.
He said Dakshina Kannada had drawn national attention for its religious and educational significance.
He said the district had contributed six nationalised banks to the country and possessed considerable economic strength. The district also has ports and is an important centre for education and healthcare, he said.
Kasturirangan Report: Public views to be sought
Shivakumar said he would participate in a meeting on the Kasturirangan Report in Hebri and that public opinion would subsequently be sought in Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru districts.
At the beginning of his interaction with the media, Shivakumar thanked the people of Dakshina Kannada for the affection and warm welcome extended to him.
He said Dakshina Kannada had developed socially, economically and educationally and that its history and heritage were known across the country.
He said the Cabinet meeting was being held in Dakshina Kannada for the first time as a contribution towards the development of the district.
He said MLAs, MPs and Legislative Council members had set aside political differences, offered suggestions and assured full cooperation for the development of the district.
Sentiments attached to language are strong
Speaking about the sentiments and pressure from people in the region regarding recognition of Tulu as an official language, Shivakumar recalled that Ashok Kumar Rai's first question in the Legislative Assembly after becoming an MLA was related to Tulu.
“I was surprised. But his first sentiment was towards the language,” Shivakumar said.
He added that Ashok Kumar Rai had also secured approval for a medical college worth Rs 500 crore, describing that as a separate matter.
Shivakumar recalled that U T Khader was Speaker at the time and that Khader and Ashok Kumar Rai had spoken in Tulu and, along with others, exerted pressure for recognition of the language.
The Cabinet's decision on Tulu addresses a long-standing regional demand, while the broader package announced in Mangaluru covers rural infrastructure, tourism, fisheries, healthcare and other development priorities.