Mangaluru : Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) will rename Mangaluru Town Hall after social reformer of yesteryears, Kudmul Ranga Rao, who worked for the welfare of the downtrodden in the coastal district decades ago.

Kudmul Ranga Rao was a social reformer from Kudmul village in Dakshina Kannada district who established the Depressed Classes Mission in 1897 to empower the backward classes socially. MCC will rename the town hall, which was constructed in 1964, at a function on Wednesday. The town hall was renovated by giving a facelift to it with new chairs, a central AC, lighting, permanent sound system, eco-proof walls and ceiling, three years ago.

Various Dalit organisations and BJP SC Morcha have been demanding that the Town Hall should be named after social reformer Kudmul Ranga Rao.

Mayor K Bhaksar Moily told reporters on Tuesday that the town hall will be renamed as ‘Kudmul Ranga Rao Purabhavana’. Minister for urban development and housing U T Khader will be the guest at the renaming ceremony to be held at the town hall. Mangaluru City South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath will preside, the mayor said.

The occasion will also mark the launching of various development works worth Rs 472.41 crore to be taken up in Mangaluru city under the Smart City Mission and other schemes. While Mangaluru Smart City Limited will launch various development works to be taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 174.32 crore, the remaining works will be implemented under various other government schemes.

MCC staff, corporators to donate Rs 10 lakh

MCC staff and corporators will donate Rs 10 lakh towards flood relief in Kodagu. While corporators have contributed one month’s honorarium, city corporation staff have donated their one day’s salary, said commissioner Mohammed Nazeer.