Coastal Development Authority will be reconstituted as a statutory body, no hike in grants for now, says Minister

A proposal to reconstitute Karnataka Coastal Development Authority as a statutory body will be mooted in the forthcoming legislature session that starts from Monday, July 3, said Minister for Planning, Programme Coordination and Statistics D. Sudhakar, on Saturday, July 1.

A proposal to reconstitute Karnataka Coastal Development Authority as a statutory body will be mooted in the forthcoming legislature session that starts from Monday, July 3, said Minister for Planning, Programme Coordination and Statistics D. Sudhakar, on Saturday, July 1.

Talking to reporters after reviewing projects of the Authority, Mr. Sudhakar said that making the Authority a statutory body with an annual Budgetary allocation of ₹2,500 crore is among the 10 coastal specific assurances made by the Congress in the manifesto for the Assembly election.

“The proposal to make the Authority a statutory body will be mooted in the forthcoming legislature session. Once it becomes a statutory authority, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will make certain Budgetary allocation,” the Minister said.

The Authority, which takes up works in coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada, functions on a meagre Budgetary allocation. Last year, the government allocated ₹15 crore to it.

Asked whether there will be increase in the allocation for the Authority in the forthcoming Budget, Mr. Sudhakar said: “The whole focus of the forthcoming Budget will be on fulfilling the five guarantees. Increase in the allocation of funds for the Authority is highly unlikely,” he said. Fund allocation to the Authority will be gradually increased after it becomes a statutory authority, he added.

Earlier, reviewing the projects of the Authority, the Minister and Manjunath Bhandary and K. Harish Kumar, MLCs; said that projects should align with the purpose of forming the Authority. “No point in taking up road works in Mangaluru which are being taken up by other State government agencies. There is limited Budgetary allocation. Focus on improvement of facilities for fishermen and construction of foot over bridges and hanging bridges. Identify neglected areas and carry out those works,” the Minister said. Works related to tourism development should be taken up on public private partnership model, the Minister added.

Expressing his unhappiness over the Authority taking up road works in Mangaluru, Mr. Bhandary said no purpose is served with such works as they are taken up by Mangaluru Smart City Limited. He also criticised the use of Authority’s funds for laying concrete road to Pilikula Nisargadhama and allocation of ₹1.5 crore for Parashurama Theme park in Karkala.