K'taka Govt sanctions Rs 20 lakh for field track

Udupi, Aug 3 (UNI) The Karnataka Government has sanctioned Rs 20 lakh for the construction of 200 mt field track and Rs five lakh for building a pavilion at the Mahatma Gandhi district stadium here, Medical Education and district incharge Minister Dr V S Acharya said today.

Laying the foundation stone for the track work here, he asked the contractor to finish the work before October next as the District Athletic Association had planned to hold the sixth Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu district athletic championship 2006 from October 14 to 16.

Mr K Raghupathy Bhat, local MLA and Athletic Committee President, said over 3,000 athletes were expected to participate in the championship, having 123 events for boys and girls in the Under-14, U-16, U-18 and U-20 categories, besides open quota. A 20-km marathon race would be organised, for the first time in Udupi.

Dr Acharya asked M/s Tegma Shipyard Company to construct two exclusive slipways inside the Malpe Fisheries Harbour with sheds for anchoring at least ten fishing boats each for repairing.

Chairing the meeting of fishermen community leaders and representatives of Tegma company to discuss the problems of fishermen in the harbour, he said that as the present slipway built by the Tegma company had become totally useless to the fishermen, the company should build a bigger slipway for Trasver's bay and another for repair's bay with workshop facility.

The Minister said the boat sheltering area at Babuthota inside the harbour should also be given on lease to fishermen to rest their boats during off season. He instructed the Port Director to make arrangement for appointment of a port officer at the harbour.

UNI MA GD TS1940