New district office in Padil to be inaugurated before April-end, says Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had laid the foundation stone for the complex during his earlier stint as CM. Along with the district office complex, the Chief Minister would also inaugurate the indoor stadium at Urwa in Mangaluru, and the Praja Soudha at Moodbidri.

Dakshina Kannada district in-charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that the new district office complex at Padil, in Mangaluru, will be inaugurated by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah before April-end.

“We have told the contractor to wind up the work by April 15. By April 20, everything should be ready, except some interior work in the auditorium,” Mr. Rao told reporters on April 5 after inspecting the complex along with senior officials.

Mr. Siddaramaiah had laid the foundation stone for the complex during his earlier stint as CM. Along with the district office complex, the Chief Minister would also inaugurate the indoor stadium at Urwa in Mangaluru, and the Praja Soudha at Moodbidri.

Along with the Deputy Commissioner’s office, the new complex would house as many as 30 other offices, including the district treasury, the sub-registrar, mines and geology, education, social welfare, women and children development, according to Deputy Commissioner M. P. Mullai Muhilan.

The Minister hoped that the government staff would serve people with renewed vigour in the new office complex, and implement the government’s policies and schemes.

While the initial estimated cost of the complex was ₹56 crore, the amount spent up to completion of the project has reached ₹76 crore. The shortfall of ₹20 crore was made good with funding from Mangaluru Smart City Limited, the Minister said adding no additional expenditure is expected till everything, including the auditorium, is completed.

Mr. Rao reiterated the administration’s resolve to convert the old DC office in the existing district office complex at Bunder into a museum. It would also be utilised to host events concerning heritage, and similar other activities. The existing DC office too would be used after undertaking minor repairs, he added.