By Team Mangalorean, Mangalore

MANGALORE, May 25, 2008:  The newly elected MLAs of Dakshina Kannada have determined to help Mr. Yeddyurappa the Chief Minister designate of the state to put the state back on the rails of development. The MLAs of the two districts feel that there has been too much of neglect of local development issues due to the unstable governments in the past and it was time for them put things into perspective.

The MLAs who have won in the elections have been summoned to Bangalore by Tuesday night, but before they left their places Mangalorean.com team spent sometime asking them what could they do to the development of their respective areas.

N.Yogish Bhat who is the senior legislator of the BJP and has returned fourth time in a row to the assembly said "in the last four times I was sitting in the opposition benches  but this time I will be on the other side of the fence. This is an opportunity for me to serve my people better." Presently the Mangalore City South is fully a city based constituency, its problems are multifold and complicated. The Mangalore City Corporation needs more attention specially roads, drainages and other city improvement works. All these needs money and more importantly the planning. "I will devote my time to bring that money from the government and get the best of minds to plan for the city. Presently, the city is reeling under water scarcity and the second vented dam issue has been sidelined and I will start working on that project immediately" he says.

B. Ramanatha Rai who is also entering the assembly for the fourth time though not in a row he says Bantwal is a transit town, its problems are more than any mid sized city. A part of my constituency also included in the city corporation, but my attention will be towards developing basic facilities for the town. The town does not have a dirty water recycling plant and the interior roads were in bad condition. There is no organised markets, the street lights were very less, the town's bus stand was half completed and the B.C.Road township which has developed around the national highway 48 has become a major traffic hazard for the highway. Moreover, the previous MLA has left a trail of enmity between the communities which has to be corrected Mr. Rai stated. Mr. Rai said there is power or no power I will work.

For Krishna Palemar his constituency is a developing area. Industrially it holds one of the largest chains of industries and all of them have great potential to yield revenue for the development of Surathkal. Mr. Palemar who himself is a big businessman says markets become the most important for a community. He says he will take up the market project for Surathkal. Other works include drinking water, roads in the rural areas.

Belthangady is a hilly area and its problem was communication and connectivity the taluk is filled with tribal people who need livelihood and transport facilities. Mr.Vasanth Bangera the new MLA wants exactly to do the same.

At Moodbidri the MLA K. Abhayachandra Jain has a host of problems on his hand. " I like problems and to solve them; the most important work I would consider that has to take place in Moodbidri was that the Moodbidri town needs a permanent drinking water source it has also no drainage facility or good road connectivity. by pass roads to Mulky from Kateel to Moodbidri which is a Major District Road (MDR) needs to be taken up immediately for repair as well as widening. He also wanted vented dams at Maravoor and Kinnigoli.

Being a second time MLA in Ullal is not easy specially when it has a history of being communally sensitive. U.T. Khader who is wearing the mantle of his father who was also an MLA says his constituency needs immediate attention for checking sea erosion and other civic facilities. He told that the youngsters in the families need to be given a definite role in the development of the constituency and keep them away from unwanted elements especially who preach fundamentalism.

Coming from the far end of the district the fourth time MLA S.Angara from Sullia it has not been given its rightful place in the development chart of the governments. He says he will fight for them.

But the first time MLA Mallika Prasad from Puttur the term development appears to be alien, she has never been in politics before and sees everything in the common man's view which is an advantage not only for her but also for the Puttur constituency. She said she has to travel far and wide into the constituency once again after she comes back from the first sitting of the legislative assembly.  She said she knows few problems like the water for irrigation and domestic use. The Mysore Mani state highway work and some city development works are also due for a long time.

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