Mangaluru : Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim said on Friday that tourism in Dakshina Kannada could not flourish unless incidents such as “moral policing” were curbed.
Speaking on ‘Local governance and sustainable development of Dakshina Kannada’ at the National Institute of Technology – Karnataka (NIT-K) at Surathkal, he said that forces and individuals who indulged in “moral policing” should be taken head on.
He said that it was a matter of concern that men and women from different religions could not move together leisurely in the city and at beaches and tourist places. “Then how to promote tourism?,” Mr. Ibrahim wondered.
He said that people in Dakshina Kannada would have to change their attitude and mindset.
Mr. Ibrahim said that major industries were suited for tier-II cities as software companies focus on metropolitan cities. But in tier-II cities, major industries face opposition from people in matters related to environmental issues.
Rajashekar Puranik, Environmental Officer, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), said that the companies would have to plan carefully to mitigate environmental impact during design stage itself. But many companies think about it only after commissioning their plants.
The topic was part of a two-day seminar on ‘Inclusive growth, institutional innovations, environmental policy and implications for employment generation with special reference to Dakshina Kannada’ organised by the NIT-K, KSPCB and Besant Evening College.
It was organised on the occasion of World Earth Day.
Though the government has banned the use of plastic cups, the organisers of a green seminar on ‘Inclusive green growth and environmental policy’ at the National Institute of Technology – Karnataka at Surathkal on Friday served juice to audience in the seminar hall in plastic cups.
Plastic cups were used straight under the nose of officials of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, which has banned its use in the State.
The NIT-K and Besant Evening College, prominent education institutes, which should have spread awareness among students about the ban on plastic products, were among the organisers of the seminar.