Mangaluru : Residents of Kasaba Bengre, Tannirbhavi and surrounding villages on Wednesday staged a protest demonstration opposing the proposed 18-hole golf course-cum-resort in public-private partnership on the ground that the project would deprive them of their relation with the sea.

Addressing the residents, Democratic Youth Federation of India district President B.K. Imtiyaz wondered how the Coastal Regulatory Zone norms would not prevent the proposed golf resort. When it comes for regularisation of dwellings of the poor, the government takes resort to CRZ norms and when it comes to the rich, the very same government allows violation of the norms, he said. There is no need for another golf course for a city like Mangaluru, he said.

The government through the tourism department has leased out 135 acres of land at Tannirbhavi village to Opus Laguna Golf and Resorts Pvt., Ltd., to build the golf course as well as 150-room luxury resort. The company has already taken possession of the land and is in the process of building protection wall abutting the sea shore, he said.

Mr. Imtiyaz pointed out that the protection wall would prevent fishermen from the region from venturing into the sea. People who have been living for years with the sea are being deprived of their livelihood in the name of promotion of tourism, he regretted. For that matter, Bengre is a beautiful village sandwiched between Phalguni (Gurupura) River and the Arabian Sea, he said.

The Federation in its memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner urged the government to drop the golf course project; to stop construction of the protection wall; provide civic amenities to the residents of Bengre and to clear the Superstar playground to facilitate sports activities. Federation leader Muneer Katipalla and others participated.