The Hindu

• Kageri and Canara MP come in for criticism
• They have been accused of plotting against people of Karwar

Karwar, Nov 28: Kannada outfits and social organisations of Karwar have opposed the move to shift the district headquarters to Sirsi.

The Karwar taluk Kannada Sahitya Parishat, the Karnataka Samrakshana Vedike, the Janashakti Vedike, self-help groups and fishermen organisations held a joint press meet here on Thursday and condemned the move.

Karwar taluk Kannada Sahitya Parishat president Rama Naik and president, Janashakti Vedike, Madhav Naik accused the district in-charge Minister Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri and Canara MP Anant Kumar Hegde of hatching a conspiracy to lower the importance of Karwar. They said that even today people from north Karnataka called Uttara Kannada district as Karwar district. The British had a plan to develop the Karwar port.

Moreover, Karwar was strategically suited for being the district headquarters. But the Minister and the MP were covertly supporting the cause of the anti-Karwar people, they charged.

Mr. Rama Naik and Mr. Madhav Naik wanted to know who proposed the shifting of the district headquarters at the Coastal Developmental Authority (CDA) meeting. And why the proposer used the name of the Indian Navy to justify the demand?

At places like Mumbai and Visakhapatnam, the naval bases were in the civilian area. When that was so, why was Karwar discriminated against? asked Mr. Rama Naik. He said even the chairman of CDA Nagaraj Shetty had opposed the demand.

Mr. Madhav Naik said Karwar had the potential to become a big tourism centre. It had offices that had been built by the Government by spending crores of rupees. Karwar had a rail line and an airport was coming up. When it had the all the infrastructure why were the Minister and the MP conspiring against the people of Karwar, he asked.

The organisations warned of an agitation if the move was not dropped.