Mangaluru : A proposal to shift the office of the Deputy Commissioner to Padil has received a boost as the State government has sanctioned Rs. 41 crore for building a three-storey district complex at Padil.

Addressing presspersons here on Saturday, B. Ramanath Rai, Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada, said that the complex would come up on five acres of land.

Apart from the office of the Deputy Commissioner, the complex will have offices of seven different departments, including that of District Health Officer and Assistant Labour Commissioner. The district administration had submitted a proposal to the government to sanction Rs. 45 crore. Mr. Rai said the building will come up on the land of the Karnataka Forest Industries Corporation, which the latter has handed over to the Revenue Department.

On the concerns expressed by environment activists about the threat to felling of old trees present in the area that has been a hotspot of birds, Mr. Rai said, “It’s too early (to fear about harm to ecology). We will be retaining the nursery (of the forest department) while constructing the building,” he said.

The Karnataka Housing Board will construct the complex. It would invite bids for the construction shortly.

Regarding the construction of Ranga Mandira, Mr. Rai said that a proposal has been submitted by the State government to the Centre for a grant of Rs. 14 crore of the total project cost of Rs. 24 crore under its Tagore Cultural Complexes scheme.

“We are hopeful of the proposal being accepted,” said Mr. Rai while exuding confidence of constructing Ranga Mandira, which has been pending for over two decades.

Mr. Rai said the concept plan for the construction of a bus terminus for private buses near Pumpwell had been prepared.

He has sought funds from the Infrastructure Department