Mangalore This Week - Sep 17 - 23
by Anisa Fathima - Daijiworld.com Mangalore
The week saw two important items of news on the Bajpe airport - that of the tickets of the long-awaited flight from Dubai to Mangalore getting sold-out, and second, of the proposal to increase the number of daily domestic flights at the airport.
The sell-out booking of direct flight from Dubai to Mangalore was expected. After all, this is no ordinary flight, but one of the most-awaited by Mangaloreans. To be a part of it is akin to being a part of history. October 3 has been marked as the D-day, the airport authorities can expect huge crowds to witness the event. It is heartening to see that along with the international flight, the number of domestic flights is also increasing.
The news that hit headlines this week was the alleged remarks by minister for higher education D H Shankaramurthy about Tipu Sultan not deserving a place in Karnataka's history. Not only did the remark avalanche into a controversy, but also angered several groups who demanded an apology and an immediate resignation.
Whether Tipu really neglected Kannada and promoted Persian language is a matter of debate and a look in to the history books is required before conjecturing any opinion. The minister too has to be responsible enough and know his history before making such sensitive comments on historical figures. The most recent press conference by Girish Karnad seems to prove the minister all wrong. Well, it would really be better if Shankaramurthy worried about the school dropouts than about Tipu's ideologies.
BANGALORE: ‘TIPPU SULTAN USED KANNADA EXTENSIVELY’
The roads in the city may still look like ancient mud-roads, but development here is taking place in leaps and bounds in the form of seven flyovers. The work on the first of these went underway at Kottara Chowki. Good thing is, along with the flyovers, the NHAI will also repair the much-damaged highways 17 and 48.
The flyovers will reduce facilitate traffic, no doubt, but the issue here is of the people and shops getting displaced for the purpose. Not many people like to be moved to a new area or be compensated for in financial form. The delay in finalizing the location of the third flyover was in fact due to this very fact. Also, the administration is already finding it difficult to manage the existing roads and highways, can it be hoped that it will manage seven flyovers? Of course, hurdles and setbacks are but to be expected in the course of the construction.
MANGALORE: WORK ON FIRST FLYOVER GETS UNDERWAY
Meanwhile, the city's Lady Goschen government hospital was in the news for all the wrong reasons. First, for the death of a mother and child that evoked much protest from the public, and second, for the report of the death of 152 infants in the course of just seven months.
District hospitals, though they have a reputation for being of great service to the poor, need to buck up their management system and mode of treatment and care. The death of the mother and child was blamed on neglect from the hospital staff. If this trend continues, few would trust their health in the hands of this hospital. Does lesser cost of treatment lead to such neglect? Is it mere mismanagement or shortage of skilled staff, or a combination of all these?
The week ended with the news of the controversial abattoir at Kudroli finally getting the opening again. The abattoir was closed on August 6 following the Pollution Control Board's report on the issue of hygiene. Now the MCC has taken appropriate measures in this regard and the Board has given the green signal for its re-opening.
Hygiene is an important consideration and the MCC deserves a pat on the back for taking steps to improve the condition of the abattoir. Proper arrangement for waste disposal and other facilities will ensure better functioning and keep away environmental concerns. Lot of controversies surrounded the abattoir regarding its ownership, but with the taking-over by MCC, at least the pollution concerns have come to an end.
MANGALORE: ABATTOIR AT KUDROLI RE-OPENED - MEAT AVAILABLE FROM SEPT 24
So that's it for this week. See you next week with some more fascinating news.