Mangaluru : The proposal to carve out five taluks – Kadaba and Moodbidri in Dakshina Kannada and Brahmavar, Baindur and Kaup in Udupi district – has brought smiles on the faces of many.

Kadaba Taluk Rachana Horata Samiti president C C Philip thanked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa and District In-charge Minister Ramanath Rai. He said Siddaramaiah has earmarked funds for the formation of the new taluks.

The demand for taluk status for Kadaba was first raised in 1961. The B M Hundekar taluk reorganisation committee, in its recommendations in 1985, had suggested the formation of Kadaba taluk. Later, the Gaddigowdar Committee had recommended the same. The government had appointed a special tahsildar for Kadaba in 2005. However, in 2009, the taluk reconstitution committee under the chairmanship of M B Prakash excluded Kadaba in its recommendations.

The creation of Kadaba taluk will benefit the people who have been travelling 65 km to the Puttur taluk office to get any work done. Now, the people of Nelyadi, Panja, hope to reach the taluk by travelling a distance of only 10 to 12 km.

The demand for Moodbidri taluk was raised in 1964 by the then MLA Dharma Samrajya. Even before Udupi was carved out of DK in 1997, the Gaddi Gowder Committee appointed to consider the reorganisation of the districts had recommended that Mulki- Moodbidri-Venoor areas could form a taluk. He had pointed out that bifurcation of DK would have no meaning if new taluks were not created. The Hundekar Committee also had made a similar recommendations.

The appointment of an additional tahsildar a few years ago had rekindled the hopes of the people. Reacting to the formation of a taluk now, Moodbidri MLA K Abhayachandra Jain said, “I had been demanding formation of Moodbidri taluk and Siddaramaiah and Kagodu Thimmappa have responded. So far, the people of Moodbidri had to travel to Mangaluru for all works in the taluk offices.”

In Byndoor, the local public celebrated at Byndoor Junction, distributing sweets, bursting crackers and organising a thanksgiving ceremony. Byndoor MLA Gopal Poojary told DH that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had assured them of the formation of Byndoor taluk. The required amount of funds would be released by the government immediately. The works would be taken up phase by phase.

The Byndoor KDP member Raju Poojary said Byndoor has the required infrastructure except a court complex. He lauded the state government and added that Byndoor would be developed into a fully developed taluk shortly. Byndoor taluk Horata Samiti president Jagnath Shetty said that the announcement is the outcome of 34 years of struggle demanding taluk. He said the political parties that were in power were repeatedly appealed, however the Congress government has made the dream fulfilled.

People in Kaup, which recently received Town Municipality status, burst crackers on hearing the news. Kaup taluk Horata Samiti representative Deviprasad Shetty said the government has taken an innovative step, which will ensure the all-round development of Kaup. The funds released will be augmented and the taluk formation would yield better progress.

In Brahmavar, celebrations were carried out with a huge rally in an open jeep, in addition to crackers and sweets, immediately after the announcement. In the evening, there was a thanksgiving programme.

Brahmavara Horata Samiti president Sathish Poojary said that mere announcing the taluk is not sufficient. The programmes that are required for the taluk should be implemented immediately. He said the funds should be released and works should be taken up for the upgrade into taluk status.