Action plan for installing Ambedkar’s statue at Ambedkar Circle to be prepared in a month: MCC Commissioner

A view of Ambedkar Circle (erstwhile Jyothi) in Mangaluru | Photo Credit: H.S. MANJUNATH Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner Rahul Ratnam Pandey on Thursday assured Dalit activists that an action plan for installing Ambedkar’s statue at the Ambedkar (erstwhile Jyothi) Circle will be prepared in a month.During the SC/ST grievance redressal meeting here, Dalit activists Ramesh Kotiyan, Raghu Yekkar and Jagadish Pandeshwar took strong objection to the delay in erecting the statute of B.R. Ambedkar at the Ambedkar Circle. The activists said they have been demanding the installation of the statue for nearly two decades.A function was held to lay the foundation stone for the work, but the work has not begun.Deputy Commissioner H.V. Darshan said there was no shortage of funds for the work.Mr. Pandey said the action plan for erecting the statute would be prepared by the end of September. Then we would invite tenders, he said.Dalit activist Amala Jyoti pointed out that though the district cell of the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE) has been given police station status to investigate into cases under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, absence of necessary personnel and infrastructure was preventing it from arresting the accused and effectively investigate the cases.Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said the State government was taking measures to recruit personnel and also to strengthen the infrastructure.DCRE Superintendent of Police C.A. Simon said, “An accused is arrested only in offences where the punishment is more than seven years.”When activist Shekar Laila questioned gram panchayats involving volunteers from the Sanjeevi Self-Help Groups for collection and disposal of garbage and paying them a paltry sum of ₹2,000 per month, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Narwade Vinayak Karbhari said the service was voluntary and there was no compulsion for volunteers to do the work. Published - August 27, 2026 08:31 pm IST