The decision was taken at a special Cabinet meeting held at the coastal city of Mangaluru.
A special Cabinet meeting held at the coastal city of Mangaluru on Friday accorded Tulu the status of second additional official language in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, among other announcements. Tulu, one of the five Dravidian languages, is spoken primarily in the coastal districts of Karnataka. During the meeting, the Cabinet also approved projects worth Rs 32,611 crore, the Coastal-Malnad Karnataka Tourism Policy 2026 and a 150-acre fisheries park.
Addressing a news conference following the meeting, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said that around Rs 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. Commenting on the decision regarding Tulu, Shivakumar said the government was responding to a demand that had been pending for several years.
“Tulu will be the second additional official language of Karnataka, and the decision will apply to Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, ” he said.
Addressing a news conference, Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said that around Rs 16,000 crore of the approved amount would be spent on rural roads, rural development and infrastructure. (File photo)
He recalled the efforts of former minister Ramanath Rai, who had raised the demand to elevate the status of Tulu.
Another issue discussed during the meeting was to rename Dakshina Kannada district as Mangaluru district. Shivakumar said that the government would seek public opinion before taking a final decision. “A draft notification will be issued and one month will be given for people to submit their views,” he said. On the new tourism policy for coastal districts, he said it would be different from the earlier policies and would offer substantial 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.
Other decisions
Other decisions included establishing a Fisheries and Blue Economy University. The intake at the existing Fisheries College in Mangaluru will be increased from 60 to 200 seats, he said, adding that a 150-acre fisheries park is also part of the projects approved by the Cabinet. Another major demand of the coastal district fulfilled during the meeting was setting up a medical college in Dakshina Kannada. Shivakumar said the Cabinet had approved Rs 549 crore for the project at Puttur.
Procession in open bus
Prior to the meeting, Shivakumar and his Cabinet colleagues were taken in a procession in an open bus in parts of the city before the meeting started at around noon in the Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner””s office.
Cultural troupes and party workers welcomed the Cabinet along the route. Traffic snarls were also seen in parts of the city during the procession ahead of the maiden Cabinet meeting at Mangaluru.
source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)