The Hindu

• ‘Manifesto’ to be circulated among people
• ‘Study carrying capacity of the district’

Mangalore, Sep 21: Prajadhikara Pratipadana Samiti in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts will undertake two campaigns, one aimed at enhancing voters’ awareness on municipal elections and another to insist on pro-people development activities, in the run-up to the elections to urban local bodies. The campaigns will focus on voters’ rights and duties, compulsory exercise of franchise, and expression of voters’ view on development projects. K Somanath Nayak, chief convener of the samiti and the State unit of “Prajadhikara Vedike”, told presspersons here on Thursday September 20 that the samiti would strive to encourage the voters to put forth their views on development related issues before the election contestants. The samiti would publicise the need for voters to reject candidates from criminal background, he said.

Nayak said the samiti would insist on the need for ward-wise meetings on the lines of “gram sabhas” and “jamabhandi”. The samiti had prepared a “manifesto of the people” for Mangalore City Corporation copies of the manifesto would be distributed among the people, he said.

The samiti could not organize interaction meetings between the political leaders and the electorate owing to paucity of time. However it would organize such meetings once the election process was over. Such interactions during previous polls yielded good results. Referring to the move to set up Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR) in Dakshina Kannada, he said the authorities should first conduct a study on the “carrying capacity” of the district and arrange public hearing.