The panel, created to assess the feasibility of a new bench covering Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru and Kodagu districts, will meet local officials and stakeholders during its upcoming visit, according to D’Souza, who has been leading the campaign for the bench.
Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has already written to Chief Justice Bakhru urging the establishment of the bench, citing the volume of cases arising from the region as sufficient to justify a separate jurisdiction.
Current Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar reiterated his government’s support, announcing that land or a building will be earmarked for the bench and expressing confidence that the chief justice will favor a circuit bench as an initial step.
In parallel with the bench push, the state government has moved to grant Tulu the status of an additional official language. D’Souza said a notification will be issued shortly and that recruitment of translators to handle official communications in Tulu will begin without waiting for legislative approval.
The MLC also urged MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta and other Karnataka BJP MPs to lobby the Union government for the inclusion of Tulu in the Constitution’s Eighth Schedule, a step that would give the language formal recognition at the national level.
The district administration is set to launch a public consultation on renaming Dakshina Kannada district as Mangaluru district, reflecting the growing political emphasis on the city’s prominence.
Separately, the state cabinet approved a ₹32,000 crore package for development projects in coastal Karnataka, including ₹400 crore for road repairs and ₹160 crore for water‑supply works under the Jalasiri scheme in Mangaluru.
Health infrastructure will also be expanded: the Government Wenlock Hospital will receive an additional 200 beds, and satellite centres of the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and the Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology will be set up in Mangaluru.
Of a requested ₹350 crore for underground drainage in Surathkal, the cabinet allocated ₹100 crore, while additional funds will be directed to complete the new Mangaluru District Prison and relocate inmates to a new facility near Balepuni on the city’s outskirts.