Sunil Lohan
Mangaluru:The Karnataka Cabinet on Friday decided to accord Tulu the status of the state’s second additional official language in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, meeting a long-pending demand from the coastal region.
The decision was taken at the first Cabinet meeting held in Mangaluru outside Bengaluru,chaired by Chief Minister D.K.Shivakumar.
The Cabinet also approved projects worth Rs.32,611 crore,including the Coastal-Malnad Karnataka Tourism Policy 2026 and a 150-acre fisheries park.
Briefing reporters after the meeting,Shivakumar said around ₹16,000 crore of the approved amount would be spent on rural roads, rural development and infrastructure,while the remaining amount would cover various projects in the coastal districts.
On the decision regarding Tulu,Shivakumar said the government had respected a demand that had been pending for several years.
“The demand to make Tulu an additional official language has been there for a long time in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.I do not want to discuss why earlier governments did not take the decision.Criticism will die, but the work will remain,”he said.
Tulu will be the second additional official language of Karnataka and the decision will apply to Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts,he said.
Shivakumar recalled the efforts of former minister Ramanath Rai in raising the demand and also mentioned the role played by Minister U.T.Khader,Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai and other elected representatives in pursuing the issue.
He congratulated all those who had worked for the recognition of Tulu.
Government committed to development:
Shivakumar said the government wanted to address both the sentiments and the day-to-day needs of people in the region.
“We have commitment.We do not do politics only on emotions. We work on people’s lives.Society cannot be built only on emotions.We have to give people social and economic strength and help them build a better life,”he said.
He said Cabinet meetings would be held in other parts of the state wherever there was a need, after taking into account the financial and legal requirements.
“This is Team Karnataka.The Cabinet is with you,”he said.
Public opinion on renaming Dakshina Kannada:
On the demand to rename Dakshina Kannada district as Mangaluru,the Chief Minister said the government would seek the opinion of the people before taking a final decision.
“Mangaluru has international recognition.We will seek public opinion on changing the name of Dakshina Kannada to Mangaluru.
A draft notification will be issued and one month will be given for people to submit their views.The decision will be taken after considering the public response,” he said.
Tourism policy for coastal and Malnad regions
The Cabinet approved the Coastal-Malnad Karnataka Tourism Policy 2026.
Shivakumar said the policy would be different from the earlier tourism policies and would offer greater support to investors, including more time for loan repayment.
Tourism projects in the coastal and Malnad regions would be treated as infrastructure projects,he said, adding that various incentives would be offered to encourage investment.
Fisheries and Blue Economy University:
The government has also decided to establish a Fisheries and Blue Economy University.
The intake at the existing fisheries college will be increased from 60 to 200 seats,Shivakumar said.
A 150-acre fisheries park is also part of the projects approved by the Cabinet.
He said there had been demands for institutions such as Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology and Jayadeva Hospital in the region.
The Cabinet has approved ₹549 crore for a medical college at Puttur,he said.
10-12 Cabinet meetings planned outside Bengaluru
Asked whether Cabinet meetings would be held in other districts as well,Shivakumar said the government plans to hold meetings at 10 to 12 locations over the next 15 months.
“Wherever there is a need and the required capacity, we will hold Cabinet meetings.Our aim is to make Karnataka a comprehensive and prosperous state,”he said.
Dakshina Kannada has contributed to Karnataka’s growth:
Shivakumar said the development initiatives announced for the coastal region would also be extended to other parts of Karnataka.
He described Dakshina Kannada as a district that has made its mark in the country in education,religion and commerce.
“The district has given six nationalised banks to the country.It has ports and is an important centre for education and healthcare,”he said.
Public consultations on Kasturirangan report
Shivakumar said he would participate in a meeting on the Kasturirangan report at Hebri and that public consultations would be held in Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru the following day.
Thanking the people of Dakshina Kannada for their timely welcome, he said the district had made progress in social, economic and educational fields.
“The history and heritage of Dakshina Kannada are known across the country. We have held the first Cabinet meeting here as a small contribution to the development of the district,”he said.
He said MLAs,MPs and members of the Legislative Council had participated in the discussions and assured their cooperation for the district’s development.
Language has a strong emotional connect:
Recalling the demand for official recognition of Tulu, Shivakumar said the language had a strong emotional connect with the people of the region.
He recalled that Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai had raised the issue of Tulu as his first question in the Assembly after becoming an MLA.
“I was surprised.His first concern was about the language Today, he has also got approval for a medical college. That is a different matter,”Shivakumar said.
He also recalled that U.T.Khader was the Speaker at the time and that Khader, Rai and other representatives had spoken in Tulu and pressed the government to consider the demand.
The Cabinet decision,Shivakumar said, was in response to the long-standing demand for recognition of Tulu in the coastal region.
