Udupi, 9 Feb 2013: Udupi district that was formed with 3 taluks was the smallest district so far, has become the large district with 5 taluks.
The CM Jagdish Shettar has announced 2 new taluks - Shiroor and Brahmavar that were hitherto included in Udupi district, beside Karkal, Kundapur and Udupi taluks. Meanwhile, the demand for Hebri taluk is yet to be approved.
Brahmavar Taluk Rachana Horata Samiti president Satish Poojary Barkoor has staged3-day hunger strike to press the state administration to announce taluk status for Brahmavar in the budget this year.
A delegation led by MLA Raghupati Bhat had pleaded CM Jagdish Shettar to announce the formation of Brahmavar taluk that was realized.
Brahmavar taluk will be formed by including 15 gram panchayats in Kota and 14 gram panchayats in Brahmavar. It has the population of 2.50 lac. Fifteen-acre-plot has been reserved in Varamballi gram panchayat to build Brahmavar taluk panchayat offices. Brahmavar has administrative offices including special Tahsildar’s office.
Byndoor legislative assembly constituency that was included in Kundapur also got the new-taluk status. It will save the people of Shiroor about 35 – 40 kilometers to go to Kundapur taluk office.
There was a plea to create Shankaranarayana as taluk instead of Byndoor in the past that was not rigorously pursued, owing to which Byndoor got taluk status.
The demand to form Hebri in Karkul taluk, just like newly-announced Byndoor taluk, since 15 – 20 years has not been achieved yet. Congress leader Neere Krishna Shetty and others staged struggle in this regard. Meanwhile, it’s owing to BJP rule in state, the demand for a new taluk to Hebri has not come in reality, Congressmen express their displeasure.