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Udupi : The 77^th Independence day was celebrated in the grand manner at the Mahatma Gandhi Stadium, Ajjarkad here in  Udupi on Tuesday, August 15, 2023.

Shri Lakshmi R Hebbalkar, Minister for Women and Child Welfare, Senior Citizens and Empowerment of the Specially-Persons and Minister in-charge of Udupi District hoisted the national flag. She received the guard of honour from the district police, NCC, Scouts and Guides and others.

Yashpal Anand Suvarna, Udupi MLA, Dr. Vidya Kumari, Deputy Commissioner, Akshay H Machindra District SP, Prasanna H ZP CEO, Mamatha Devi Additional Deputy Commissioner and others were present.

During the 77^th Independence day celebration, Laxmi R Hebbalkar, District in-charge minister said in her speech as follows :

Today is a happy day, a happy day for all of us, a day to remember the Mahatmas who brought us freedom. Today is the day to reflect on the path we have walked and move forward. On this auspicious occasion of the 77th Independence Day being celebrated across the country today, this is also the day of initiation to maintain this most precious freedom of ours. In the history of India’s freedom struggle, the freedom of our country is the fruit of sacrifices. Entire India fought against the British and got freedom from slavery. We are all here today to dream for a brighter future for the country. Along with our dreams, let us all resolve today to realize the dreams and wishes of our Mahatmas.

Every Indian should remember the sacrifice and patriotism of all those who brought freedom including Mahatma Gandhiji, Balagangadhar Tilak, Gopalkrishna Gokhale, Subhash Chandra Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Bhagat Singh, Maulana Abul Kalam, Chandrasekhar Azad.

I know that the role of Udupi district in the freedom struggle is unforgettable. Ajjarakad was the base for the meetings of the freedom struggle of Udupi, where the meeting held by Mahatma Gandhi awakened the hope of democracy.

It is necessary to remember the sacrifices of many fighters of the district in the freedom struggle of the country against the British, among them S.U.Paniadi, Hiriyadka Ramaraya Mallya, Santhyaru Anantapadmanabha Bhat, Kubera Panduranga Rao, Tonse Mukunda Pai, R.S.Shenai, M.Vithala Kamath, A.V. Baliga, Sathyamithra Bangera, Haji Abdulla Saheb. On this day we should remember the fighters like Baliga, Satyamitra Bangera, Haji Abdullah Saheb and others.

25 years have passed since the establishment of Udupi district. The scenic natural beauty of our district, rivers, beaches, educational institutes, state, national and foreign countries are also recognized. The district has seen a lot of development in a short span of time. Sincere efforts will be made for further development.

An undivided Dakshina Kannada district, has had enough in the freedom struggle. It may be recalled that Mahatma Gandhi visited here in 1920, 1927, 1934. In 1934, when Gandhiji was on a pilgrimage, the people of this place, especially the women, gave gold ornaments to Gandhiji for the freedom struggle, which touched us all. Especially, no one can forget the emotional episode when a 6-year-old girl named Nirupama gave her golden chain to Gandhiji in the Udupi Maidan.

Dear friends, we have to cultivate the patriotism that many Mahatmas have lost their lives in prison and the freedom earned by sacrificing their lives. The Congress Party, which worked hard for the freedom struggle under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi for the first 6 decades, became involved in the construction of a strong India in the next few days.

Caste and religion which lead to communal conflict should be transcended and patriotism should be imbibed that we all Indians are one. Only then India will be able to achieve success in the 76 years of independence.

We should try to lead a harmonious and peaceful life as brothers and sisters of all religions in the society. It is the duty of all of us to thwart any evil forces and attempts to disturb the peace and tranquility.

At a time when the whole world is emerging as a village, our nation has also taken steps towards success in the fields of agriculture, education, health care, space, etc. through technology equal to that of the developed nations without falling behind.

The state has a pro-people government today. With the hope of building a prosperous Karnataka, we are working hard for the development of the country. Our government will work on the path of socialist, secular and democratic values ​​as per the wishes of the constitution. Our mission is to create equal opportunity and welfare of the weaker sections of the society, environmental protection, promotion of economic development, fair distribution of resources for farmers’ crops.

Our Government is committed to ensure the well-being and development of all by providing equal opportunities to all including the poor, weaker sections, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes, Minorities, Landless Agricultural Laborers and Women. Steps have been taken to implement the 5 guarantees given to the people of the state during the election as soon as our government come to power.

Through Shakti Yojana, which was first implemented to encourage the self-reliant life of women in the state, the scheme of free travel by women in transport buses across the state has received unprecedented support, so far more than 30 crore women in the state have traveled in buses for free. Under Shakti Yojana, 11,14,487 women traveled in Udupi district and an expenditure of Rs. 4.10 crores was incurred.

It has been decided to distribute 10 kg of free food grains every month to 44.80 lakh Antyodaya and 3.97 crore priority ration card holders of the state under the Annabhagya Yojana with the aim of making Karnataka free from hunger. Under the Annabhagya Yojana, there are 28,434 Antyodaya and 1,51,206 priority ration cards in the district and 6,83,090 members will be benefited. 35 kg of rice is being distributed to the existing Antyodaya card and 5 kg of rice each to the priority ration card members, besides this, a grant of 11.29 crores has been paid by the state government to the beneficiaries of the district through direct cash transfer.

Grihalakshi Yojana will play an important role in making life easier and providing financial security to the women of our state. The registration process for this scheme is going on, 2,000 rupees per month and 24 thousand rupees per year will be directly transferred to women’s accounts. Rs 36,000 crore annually for this project. It will be the largest financial security project in the entire country. Already 1.07 crore women have registered online in the state. Out of 2,56,850 eligible families of Udupi district, more than 2 lakh have registered so far, which is more than 73 percent achievement.

The registration process under Griha Jyoti Yojana is already implemented and it is applicable for the electricity bill consumed from July 1. The guidelines of this project have been prepared with the responsibility of creating awareness among the people about the efficient use of electricity. It is our government’s effort to fill the homes and minds of the people with the free electricity facility. Out of 3,15,692 eligible electricity consumers in Udupi district under Griha Jyoti Yojana, 2,56,549 have been approved for free bill so far and there is no last date for registration of the scheme.

The fifth guarantee scheme of our manifesto, Yuvanidhi scheme will be implemented to provide unemployment allowance to graduates and diploma holders, with the hope of supporting young people who dream of getting education and employment in the state and achieving higher in life. Rs.3000 per month for unemployed graduates and Rs.1500 per month for unemployed diploma holders to be given.

Honorable Chief Minister has already shown that our government is a government that works as it says. This is evidenced by the allocation of Rs 35,410 crore in the budget of 2023-24 for the implementation of five guarantees.

Along with five guarantees, the budget has ensured that the development projects do not stagnate. They have taken steps to arrange money in a neat manner without imposing any tax burden on the people. Like every other time, this time our government has paid much attention to provide security to poor people of all classes including women, backward classes, laborers. A consensus budget was presented. What is more important than how much grant is spent on a project is who we are allocating that money for.

Our government will attach great importance to maintaining law and order in the state. Relentless action will be taken against the tyranny in the name of moral police, spreading lies through social media, and disruptive forces that destroy harmony. Thus, our government will take all kinds of measures to rebuild the harmonious atmosphere in the society.

More emphasis is being laid on the production, processing, branding and export of horticultural crops including coconut, areca nut, grape, pomegranate, mango and other fruits, vegetables, flowers to increase the income of farmers and increase the capacity of the state in the horticulture sector.

The limit of short-term loans at zero interest rate to the farmers of the state has been increased from three lakh rupees to five lakh rupees. Similarly, the medium-term and long-term loan limit at 3 percent interest rate has been increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh.

To help fisher women in economic self-sufficiency and business expansion, the interest-free loan limit in banks has been increased from 50,000 rupees to 3 lakh rupees. The limit of diesel provided at concessional rate to fishing boats has been increased from one and a half lakh kilo liters to two lakh kilo litres. This will help fishermen to the tune of 250 crore rupees from the government. A subsidy of Rs 50,000 each will be given for conversion of kerosene engines in fishing boats to petrol/diesel engines. A subsidy of Rs 20 crore is being provided for replacement of 4,000 kerosene engines in the current year.

Inland fisheries are being encouraged to produce large quantities of fingerlings, which are in high demand. Rs. 7 lakhs for purchase of pick-up vans for transportation of agricultural produce of farmers in hilly areas. The proposal to give loans up to 4% interest rate will help the farmers. A comprehensive action plan will be formulated for commercialization and sustainable functioning of the state’s minor ports. An Integrated Coastal Management Committee will be empowered to maintain the natural fishing harbors.

10 irrigation projects with a pending amount of Rs 940 crore will be completed in the current year and irrigation capacity of about 25,948 hectares will be created under the Water Resources Department. Strengthen lake user associations, partner for lake development, and prepare meaningful action plans for water utilization while preserving the ecosystem around lakes and reviving them.

Construction works of 8,311 rooms at a total cost of Rs 550 crore, including Rs 310 crore for school rooms and Rs 240 crore for pre-degree college rooms, will be completed soon to provide better facilities in government schools and colleges of the state. In terms of education and health of students, toilet units will be constructed in 5,775 schools and 150 colleges where there are few toilets, commensurate with the number of children, at a cost of Rs 200 crores in association with Narega scheme.

During the previous period of our government, steps were taken to provide free dialysis facility to the poor. Now the quality of service will be improved by installing single use dialyzers in all district and taluk hospitals. A program will be implemented for comprehensive screening, treatment, awareness raising and capacity building of health workers to eliminate anemia and malnutrition among newborns, children, adolescents, pregnant women, mothers and women of reproductive age in the state. Rs. 25 crore  have been provided for this. Our government has already taken steps to make the scheme worthwhile by bringing a radical change to the nutritional food distribution system which was riddled with deficiencies.

Women entrepreneurs are gaining more opportunities in the service sector such as hospitality, care and tourism. Therefore, through the Karnataka State Finance Corporation, to encourage women entrepreneurs in the service sector, the loan limit at an interest rate of 4 has been increased from two crore rupees to five crore rupees.

With the objective of bringing the acid attack victims in the mainstream of the society for self-employment, an interest-free loan facility of up to five lakh rupees will be provided through the Karnataka State Women’s Development Corporation and a grant of two crore rupees will be provided through the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation.

Our government’s commitment to the development of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and Minority Communities who have been oppressed and deprived of opportunities in the society for many generations is unquestionable. Credit goes to our government for implementing the Karnataka Scheduled Castes Sub-allocation and Tribes Sub-allocation Act, 2013.

Child care centers will be started in 4,000 Gram Panchayats under the name of Koosina Mane to create more employment opportunities for women and for the health, nutrition and safety of children under 6 years of age in collaboration with Narega Yojana and Department of Women and Child Development.

Rs. 3,000 crore  will be spent to bring improvement in multi-dimensional indicators of development like education, health, nutrition, gender equality, poverty alleviation and other development aspirational taluks which are progressing below the state average. Several popular projects like Nagrothana, Indira Canteen, which were started by giving special priority to urban development during the previous period of our government, have been resumed.

A total of 2,000 km of state highways and a total of 2,400 km of district roads for inter-district connectivity in the state will be developed at a cost of Rs 4,083 crore among the road works already undertaken to promote public transport and commercial activities.

It is our government’s priority to increase the density of the railway network, to connect all parts of Karnataka, to reduce regional imbalance, to enable smooth movement of people and goods. In this regard, with a state investment of around Rs 8,766 crore, steps will be taken to complete nine railway project works of 1,110 km length on priority basis.

For establishment of industries, agricultural land up to two acres will be allowed to be used without conversion for industrial purposes. Appropriate amendments have been made in the Karnataka Land Revenue Act for this. Measures have been taken to make weavers economically self-reliant by providing free electricity up to a maximum of 250 units per month for loom and pre-loom units with electricity connection up to 10 HP.

A Coastal Beach Tourism Task Force is being formed for the development of coastal tourism in Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts and a comprehensive plan for comprehensive coastal development will be prepared.

The district has produced 2,65,528 metric tonnes of fish worth Rs 2063 crore in 2022-23. The district ranks 2nd in the state. Fishing is an important industry of the district and several projects will be implemented for its all-round development.

5,14,238 people have registered under Ayushman Arogya Karnataka in Udupi and Rs.14.13 crore medical expenses have been paid in 23,902 cases in the current year.

To provide drinking water facility to households without water supply in rural areas, under the House to House Pipe Connection Scheme, the district aims to provide piped water connection to 2,47,190 houses and already provided tap water facility to 1,90,974 lakh houses. The rest of the houses will be connected to tap water soon.

113.59 acres of land in Kerebettu and Shivpur villages of Hebri taluk, 50.42 acres of land in Nitte village of Karkala taluk have been acquired for setting up a new industrial area, 100 acres in Uppur village of Brahmavar taluk, 941.98 acres of land in Ellur and Santur villages of Kapu taluk have been inspected. A new industrial area will soon be established in this area will be established.

As part of afforestation in the district, 7,71,194 saplings have been planted by the Forest Department in the current year.

The state government in collaboration with state-owned petroleum companies has set up petrol stations at 100 locations under a scheme called Udyama Shakti, which is fully managed by women’s self-help societies.

It is planned to take up works costing Rs 422 crore in the current year from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund to address the effects of weather extremes such as floods, droughts, river bank erosion. To solve the problems caused by heavy rain, strong winds and floods in the state, steps have been taken to install Doppler Weather Radar surveillance machine from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund.

In the district, all kinds of precautionary measures have been taken to successfully deal with situations like floods, natural calamities. 93.72 lakh rupees as per the guidelines of NDRF and SDRF for the damages caused during the current monsoon season. Emergency compensation paid. Additionally, in cases of house damage, compensation of Rs 5 lakh for new construction and Rs 3 lakh for repairs has been sanctioned.

A total of 1,46,897 pensioners are being given monthly pension under various social security schemes such as old age pension, widow pension, disabled pension, Sandhya Suraksha, Manaswini, Maitri Yojana.

Udupi district is known as the most intelligent district. I have been given the opportunity to serve as the minister in charge here. There are many unique problems and demands here, including sea erosion and foot bridge problem. I will take all possible measures to find a permanent solution for them.

I am determined to take Udupi district to new heights through development. I would like to take this opportunity to seek the blessings of Lord Krishna and cooperation from all people.

 Everyone should think about my contribution to the country on this auspicious occasion. By changing ourselves we can bring change in the country. Let all sections of the society live together in brotherhood and harmony. Let’s uphold the country’s constitution and democratic values.

I hope that this 77th Independence Day will inculcate more patriotism in us, and I would like to conclude my speech by wishing all of them once again Happy Independence Day.

Endosalpan sufferers were symbolically distributed Mashasana to the beneficiary by the District Health Department during the Independence Day function.

Cultural programme conducted by the school and college students of Udupi.

Dr. Roshan Shetty and others compered the programme.