Mangaluru:,The first-ever cabinet meeting held outside Bengaluru at Padil Praja Soudha on September 18 will be remembered for its historic announcements, but the press conference that followed also saw some uncomfortable questions going unanswered.
MP MLA’S NEWS editor Dr Ashok Shetty B N was among the journalists present at the press conference addressed by Chief Minister D K Shivakumar after the 21st cabinet meeting of the year.
Two public-interest queries raised during the interaction drew evasive responses.
On the issue of nearly Rs 30,000 crore in pending dues to contractors across the state, Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara is said to have sidestepped a direct reply, offering no clear timeline for clearance.
In another exchange, when asked why hotels and eateries in Mangaluru are mandated to down shutters by 11:30 pm — a move that stakeholders say affects tourism and night economy — District in-charge minister U T Khader reportedly termed it a minor issue. Witnesses at the venue said the minister appeared more keen on accommodating a national channel’s byte.
The perceived contradiction has not gone unnoticed. On one hand, the cabinet cleared the Karavali-Malenadu Tourism Policy 2026 aiming to project coastal Karnataka as a tourism hub; on the other, the early closure norm remains a concern for the hospitality sector.
While the cabinet’s decisions — granting second official language status to Tulu in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, clearing Rs 32,611 crore worth of projects and proposing to rename Dakshina Kannada as Mangaluru district — were largely welcomed, the unanswered questions left many in the media gallery wanting more clarity
